site.btaGasoline Spill from Product Conduit of Lukoil Neftochim Contaminates Chukarliyska River

Gasoline Spill from Product Conduit  of Lukoil Neftochim Contaminates  Chukarliyska River

Bourgas, on the Black Sea, June 18 (BTA) - Between 10 and 30
tonnes of gasoline spilled from a product conduit of Lukoil
Neftochim on the road connecting Bourgas' Dolno Ezerovo
residential area with the village of Bratovo on Wednesday
evening, the Ecology Department of Bourgas Municipality told
BTA. The teams on duty said that part of the fuel went into
Chukarliyska River, causing contamination.

Bourgas Mayor Dimiter Nikolov has ordered the road to be closed
to traffic and has informed the Environment and Water Minister,
Civil Protection and the Regional Directorate of the Interior
Ministry of the spill, Bourgas Municipality said.

On Thursday, Nikolov and Environment Minister Ivelina Vassileva
visited the site of the incident to check the contaminated zone.


Vassileva told journalists that the amount of the damage is
being assessed and the cleanup teams continue their work. All
safety measures have been taken and there is no risk of fire or
explosion, she said. Operator Lukoil Neftochim will be
sanctioned for the spill caused, she noted.

Nikolov said that the product conduit is supplying only water
for drainage at the moment.

Regional Health Inspection Director Georgi Pazderov said the
samples taken from Chukarliyska River show that the
contamination does not threaten the drinking water sources and
there is no risk to humans.

An expert team from the Regional Environment and Water
Protection Inspection in Bourgas is on the site of the incident
together with representatives of the local authorities and teams
from the oil refinery, the water supply and sewage services and
the fire safety department.