Waterways near Russia's Siberian city of Norilsk have been rapidly polluted by a spill of more than 20,000 tonnes of diesel fuel in recent days. Watch report.

WION Fineprint: Siberia oil spill, 21,000 tonnes of diesel leeks in Siberia

Russian officials are struggling to clean up an oil spill in a region in northern Siberia after an oil leak that began at the end of May was found to have released over 21,000 tons of diesel into the Arctic Ocean. Watch report.

Clean up efforts in Siberia continue: 20,000 tons of diesel spilled

An oil spill that is stretching across Brazil's north east region has reached a rare coral reef in the country, underwater footage from November 01 shows.

2 months after oil spill in Brazil; richest biodiversity faces the brunt

Greek authorities said Saturday that a Greek ship was one of five vessels suspected in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-beaches-sullied-by-oily-sludge-257039">oil spills</a> that have been appearing along the coast of Brazil for two months.

The Brazilian defence ministry said Friday that a Greek-flagged tanker was the main suspect in the search for culprits after oil began appearing in early September and has been seen along a 2,000-kilometre&nbsp; stretch of the northeastern Atlantic coast.

A spokeswoman for the Greek coastguard, which answers to the merchant navy ministry, told AFP that "the investigation conducted in Brazil showed that five ships from different countries are suspects, including a Greek one".

She did not give the names of the vessels, which had now left Brazil to unknown destinations, or their owners, but said that "detailed controls will be carried out by the Greek authorities should those vessels arrive in a Greek port".

Investigators in Brazil studied 1,100 ships navigating through the area before narrowing down the potential culprits to 30, and then settling on the Greek-flagged ship as the "prime suspect".

The defence ministry said a search warrant for the unnamed ship had been issued while the attorney general's office said the damage to Brazil's coasts was "immeasurable."

Separately, police raided the Rio de Janeiro offices of a company linked to the owners of the ship, federal police said.

"This environmental catastrophe has reached estuaries, mangroves and river mouths all over northeastern Brazil, causing damage to fishing, aquaculture and tourism," the police said in a statement.

The defence ministry said the ship was transporting oil.

Greek authorities said Saturday that a Greek ship was one of five vessels suspected in oil spills that have been appearing along the coast of Brazil for two months.

Greek authorities said Saturday that a Greek ship was one of five vessels suspected in oil spills that have been appearing along the coast of Brazil for two months. The Brazilian defence ministry said Friday that a Greek-flagged tanker was the main suspect in the search for culprits after oil began appearing in early September and has been seen along a 2,000-kilometre stretch of the northeastern Atlantic coast. A spokeswoman for the Greek coastguard, which answers to the merchant navy ministry, told AFP that "the investigation conducted in Brazil showed that five ships from different countries are suspects, including a Greek one". She did not give the names of the vessels, which had now left Brazil to unknown destinations, or their owners, but said that "detailed controls will be carried out by the Greek authorities should those vessels arrive in a Greek port". Investigators in Brazil studied 1,100 ships navigating through the area before narrowing down the potential culprits to 30, and then settling on the Greek-flagged ship as the "prime suspect". The defence ministry said a search warrant for the unnamed ship had been issued while the attorney general's office said the damage to Brazil's coasts was "immeasurable." Separately, police raided the Rio de Janeiro offices of a company linked to the owners of the ship, federal police said. "This environmental catastrophe has reached estuaries, mangroves and river mouths all over northeastern Brazil, causing damage to fishing, aquaculture and tourism," the police said in a statement. The defence ministry said the ship was transporting oil.

Greece says five vessels suspected in Brazil oil spill

The thick petroleum&nbsp;sludge&nbsp;that has been mysteriously washing up on&nbsp;beaches&nbsp;in&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;for more than a month struck the popular tourist spot of Porto de Galinhas in Pernambuco state on October 19.

Normally known for its beautiful sand, palm trees and&nbsp;pristine&nbsp;tidal pools, the resort area was&nbsp;sullied&nbsp;by an&nbsp;oily&nbsp;sludge&nbsp;and locals scrambled to clean up the mess.

Reports of the oil spill emerged late last month.&nbsp;Brazil's environmental agency Ibama has reported that an analysis of a vast oil spill along the country's northeastern&nbsp;beaches&nbsp;showed the spilt crude did not originate in the country.

On October 09,&nbsp;Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said the&nbsp;sludge&nbsp;was "very likely from Venezuela," citing a report by state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

The thick petroleum sludge that has been mysteriously washing up on beaches in Brazil for more than a month struck the popular tourist spot of Porto de Galinhas in Pernambuco state on October 19.

The thick petroleum sludge that has been mysteriously washing up on beaches in Brazil for more than a month struck the popular tourist spot of Porto de Galinhas in Pernambuco state on October 19. Normally known for its beautiful sand, palm trees and pristine tidal pools, the resort area was sullied by an oily sludge and locals scrambled to clean up the mess. Reports of the oil spill emerged late last month. Brazil's environmental agency Ibama has reported that an analysis of a vast oil spill along the country's northeastern beaches showed the spilt crude did not originate in the country. On October 09, Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said the sludge was "very likely from Venezuela," citing a report by state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Brazil beaches sullied by oily sludge

A Keystone pipeline has leaked around 210,000 gallons of oil near South Dakota, TransCanada - the company owner and operator, reported on Thursday.&nbsp;

This pipeline runs from Hardesty, Alberta, to Cushing, Okla&nbsp;and Wood River/Patoka, Ill and is reportedly the largest oil spill in South Dakota, officials say.&nbsp;

According to reports from Los Angeles Times, the spill has not affected any water bodies, agricultural area or hampered the drinking water systems.&nbsp;

The reason behind the leak is still being looked into, however, TransCanada discovered a drop in pressure on Thursday morning and immediately shut down the pipeline.&nbsp;

According to Brian Walsh an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, it is the &quot;responsibility of TransCanada to clean up the entire area in compliance with the state regulation&quot;.&nbsp;

The chemicals flowing through the Keystone Pipeline is called &#39;diluted bitumen&#39;, a crude oil, which is thick and sticky and is required to be diluted in order to flow smoothly. This chemical usually contains benzene, a carcinogen and is tough to clean up, but the exact name is unknown, as per media reports.&nbsp;

A potential addition to Keystone system, known as Keystone XL had been rejected by former president Barack Obama in 2015 and Donald Trump signed a memorandum to expedite the environmental review process for Keystone XL when he became president.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

It is reportedly the largest oil spill in South Dakota, officials say.?

A Keystone pipeline has leaked around 210,000 gallons of oil near South Dakota, TransCanada - the company owner and operator, reported on Thursday. This pipeline runs from Hardesty, Alberta, to Cushing, Okla and Wood River/Patoka, Ill and is reportedly the largest oil spill in South Dakota, officials say. According to reports from Los Angeles Times, the spill has not affected any water bodies, agricultural area or hampered the drinking water systems. The reason behind the leak is still being looked into, however, TransCanada discovered a drop in pressure on Thursday morning and immediately shut down the pipeline. According to Brian Walsh an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, it is the "responsibility of TransCanada to clean up the entire area in compliance with the state regulation". The chemicals flowing through the Keystone Pipeline is called 'diluted bitumen', a crude oil, which is thick and sticky and is required to be diluted in order to flow smoothly. This chemical usually contains benzene, a carcinogen and is tough to clean up, but the exact name is unknown, as per media reports. A potential addition to Keystone system, known as Keystone XL had been rejected by former president Barack Obama in 2015 and Donald Trump signed a memorandum to expedite the environmental review process for Keystone XL when he became president.

Keystone Pipeline spills 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota

By Anuradha Mukherjee

Tamil Nadu police have registered cases against the management of two tankers that collided last week leading to a massive oil spill along the Chennai coast, media reports said.

Even a week after the oil spill off India&#39;s south Indian state Tamil Nadu&#39;s capital, Chennai, there is very little confirmed information on the substance that was tipped over into the sea after two ships collided last Saturday.&nbsp;

Conservation activist have been&nbsp;urging the government to treat the oil spill that has now reached Chennai&#39;s famous Marina beach seriously, say it was a small problem that has been compounded by government neglect.&nbsp;

&quot;We don&#39;t know how much of it has&nbsp;spilled and what spilled. In the absence of that, we don&rsquo;t have a baseline estimate to assess the damage,&quot; said social activist Nityananda Jayaram, who writes on environmental abuse. &quot;Latest information from the Coast Guards say they have cleaned 70 tonnes of spillage from the northern reaches of Chennai alone.&quot;&nbsp;

Jayaram said government apathy and denial of the spill has turned it into a bigger environmental hazard for marine life as well as communities like those of fishermen dependent on the sea for a livelihood.&nbsp;

&quot;Even on the day, January 31, that the slick had reached the Marina (beach in Chennai), the minister (Indian minister for surface transport and ports), Pon Radhakrishnan, came to the city and said there was no spill. Before that the Kamarajar port had said there was no spill. Now the Coast Guards have joined the melee and said the environmental impact is minimal,&quot; said Jayaraman.&nbsp;

State authorities had pressed into service 2,000 men for cleaning the beaches and sea front with about 50 &quot;super-suckers&quot; cleaning the effluents from the waters.&nbsp;

&quot;Who are these people, youngsters with no training or even protective gear. The surfeit of oil makes it difficult to breathe there. Petroleum is carcinogenic. This is the most vulgar display of ignorance in Digital India&quot;.&nbsp;
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1VKiIMJl6EE" width="854"></iframe><centre>
&nbsp;

Earlier, Coast Guard Eastern region Inspector General Rajan Bargotra while giving details of the clean up had said a probe has been ordered by the Directorate General of Shipping into the oil spillage that has blackened the Chennai shoreline following the collision of two ships last Saturday.&nbsp;

Describing the incident as a &quot;major accident but a minor (oil) spill,&quot; Bargotra said &quot;oil spill has occurred in nearly 34,000 square metres in the eastern coast of Bay of Bengal&quot; amid reports that marine life has been affected.&nbsp;

On January 28, MT Dawn Kanchipuram, carrying petroleum oil lubricants (POL), and MT BW Maple, loaded with LPG, collided off Kamarajar Port in Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;Several tonnes of crude from MT Dawn spilled into the sea. The oil has spread over a 30 km stretch along the coast, from Ennore where Kamarajar port situated, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Rajan Bargotra, IG, Coast Guard said the coastline of Chennai and Ennore&nbsp;is expected to be &quot;cleaned up completely by tomorrow&quot;. He added &quot;80 per cent&quot;&nbsp;work is already complete.&nbsp;

On January 31, the Coast Guard had said in a statement: &quot;It is estimated that more than 20 tonnes of oil has spilt from MT Dawn Kanchipuram as against the initial report of two-three tonnes.&quot;

Many turtles and fish have died and washed ashore due to the oil spill, environmentalists have warned. 
 
<img id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_editpreview" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/coast%20guardm-20170203034327.jpg" /> 
&nbsp;

(WION with agency inputs)

&nbsp;
</centre></centre>

State authorities in Tamil Nadu have pressed into service 2,000 men for cleaning the beaches and sea front with 'super-suckers'

By Anuradha Mukherjee Tamil Nadu police have registered cases against the management of two tankers that collided last week leading to a massive oil spill along the Chennai coast, media reports said. Even a week after the oil spill off India's south Indian state Tamil Nadu's capital, Chennai, there is very little confirmed information on the substance that was tipped over into the sea after two ships collided last Saturday. Conservation activist have been urging the government to treat the oil spill that has now reached Chennai's famous Marina beach seriously, say it was a small problem that has been compounded by government neglect. "We don't know how much of it has spilled and what spilled. In the absence of that, we don’t have a baseline estimate to assess the damage," said social activist Nityananda Jayaram, who writes on environmental abuse. "Latest information from the Coast Guards say they have cleaned 70 tonnes of spillage from the northern reaches of Chennai alone." Jayaram said government apathy and denial of the spill has turned it into a bigger environmental hazard for marine life as well as communities like those of fishermen dependent on the sea for a livelihood. "Even on the day, January 31, that the slick had reached the Marina (beach in Chennai), the minister (Indian minister for surface transport and ports), Pon Radhakrishnan, came to the city and said there was no spill. Before that the Kamarajar port had said there was no spill. Now the Coast Guards have joined the melee and said the environmental impact is minimal," said Jayaraman. State authorities had pressed into service 2,000 men for cleaning the beaches and sea front with about 50 "super-suckers" cleaning the effluents from the waters. "Who are these people, youngsters with no training or even protective gear. The surfeit of oil makes it difficult to breathe there. Petroleum is carcinogenic. This is the most vulgar display of ignorance in Digital India". Earlier, Coast Guard Eastern region Inspector General Rajan Bargotra while giving details of the clean up had said a probe has been ordered by the Directorate General of Shipping into the oil spillage that has blackened the Chennai shoreline following the collision of two ships last Saturday. Describing the incident as a "major accident but a minor (oil) spill," Bargotra said "oil spill has occurred in nearly 34,000 square metres in the eastern coast of Bay of Bengal" amid reports that marine life has been affected. On January 28, MT Dawn Kanchipuram, carrying petroleum oil lubricants (POL), and MT BW Maple, loaded with LPG, collided off Kamarajar Port in Tamil Nadu. Several tonnes of crude from MT Dawn spilled into the sea. The oil has spread over a 30 km stretch along the coast, from Ennore where Kamarajar port situated, according to reports. Meanwhile, Rajan Bargotra, IG, Coast Guard said the coastline of Chennai and Ennore is expected to be "cleaned up completely by tomorrow". He added "80 per cent" work is already complete. On January 31, the Coast Guard had said in a statement: "It is estimated that more than 20 tonnes of oil has spilt from MT Dawn Kanchipuram as against the initial report of two-three tonnes." Many turtles and fish have died and washed ashore due to the oil spill, environmentalists have warned. (WION with agency inputs)

Oil spill off Chennai not properly assessed by government, warn environmentalists

King Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi holds up a plastic bottle containing contaminated water from his community in Nigeria, proof of oil pollution that he blames on Royal Dutch Shell -- and on which he hopes a London court will deliver justice. 
 
&quot;My people are drinking this water,&quot; said the tribal king of the Ogale community in the oil-rich Niger Delta.&nbsp; 
 
Okpabi has flown to London for a High Court hearing on Tuesday in which lawyers for more than 40,000 Nigerians are demanding action from Shell to clean up oil spills that have devastated their communities for decades. 
 
&quot;There are strange diseases in my community -- skin diseases, people are dying sudden deaths, some people are impotent, low sperm count,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;I can afford to buy water. But can I afford to buy for everybody? No.&quot; 
 
The Anglo-Dutch oil giant argues that the case should be heard in Nigeria, pointing out that it involves its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC, which runs a joint venture with the government, and Nigerian plaintiffs. 
 
But Okpabi, wearing a traditional robe with a red necklace and black top hat, said the English justice system was his only hope to end the blight on his people&#39;s lives. 
 
&quot;Shell is Nigeria and Nigeria is Shell. You can never, never defeat Shell in a Nigerian court. The truth is that the Nigerian legal system is corrupt,&quot; he said. 
 
He wants the High Court to compel Shell to implement a 2011 landmark report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which warned of dangerously high levels of hydrocarbons in the water, bitumen-coated mangroves and poor air quality. 
 
It should order the company to &quot;go and clean-up Ogale, go and provide water for them; go and do medical history for them, and where medical attention is needed provide for them,&quot; he said. 
 
The king said no money would be enough to address the damage, which UNEP warned could take 25 to 30 years to resolve, but wants compensation, adding: &quot;We are dying.&quot; 
 
Sabotage 
 
Shell will challenge the jurisdiction of the English courts in the case during three days of hearings this week, while it also disputes the claims made by lawyers Leigh Day, who represent Ogale and the smaller Bille community. 
 
&quot;Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta,&quot; a company spokeswoman said. 
 
She noted SPDC has not produced any oil or gas in Ogoniland, the region surrounding Ogale, since 1993.&nbsp; 
 
But Okpabi and his lawyers say the company&#39;s ageing, leaky pipelines still run through the region and it must take responsibility. 
 
SPDC says it has delivered water and healthcare to the community and is supporting the implementation of the UNEP process by the government, which in June launched a $1 billion (&pound;800 million, 940 million euros) oil pollution clean-up programme in the Niger Delta. 
 
Okpabi said he believed President Muhammadu Buhari is &quot;sincere&quot; in wanting to address the issue, but warned: &quot;If we wait for the system to roll on its own, I hate to say this, but it may be too late for the people of Ogale.&quot; 
 
Attacks on Nigerian pipelines have increased this year, cutting output and helping tip the country into recession, but Okpabi insists &quot;there is no vandalising&quot; in Ogale. 
 
The king condemned the saboteurs, warning that &quot;you cannot bomb your house to get attention&quot;. 
 
However, he added: &quot;I&#39;m also appealing to Shell and the Nigerian government to listen to those communities that are non-violent and do something.&quot; 
 
In January 2015, Shell agreed to pay more than $80 million to the Nigerian fishing community of Bodo for two oil spills in 2008, following a case brought by Leigh Day in London. 
 
In December, a Dutch court permitted four Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue the company for environmental pollution, potentially opening the door to other cases to be brought in the Netherlands.

(AFP)

He has flown to London for a hearing in which lawyers for more than 40,000 Nigerians are demanding action from Shell to clean up oil spill

King Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi holds up a plastic bottle containing contaminated water from his community in Nigeria, proof of oil pollution that he blames on Royal Dutch Shell -- and on which he hopes a London court will deliver justice. "My people are drinking this water," said the tribal king of the Ogale community in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Okpabi has flown to London for a High Court hearing on Tuesday in which lawyers for more than 40,000 Nigerians are demanding action from Shell to clean up oil spills that have devastated their communities for decades. "There are strange diseases in my community -- skin diseases, people are dying sudden deaths, some people are impotent, low sperm count," he told AFP. "I can afford to buy water. But can I afford to buy for everybody? No." The Anglo-Dutch oil giant argues that the case should be heard in Nigeria, pointing out that it involves its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC, which runs a joint venture with the government, and Nigerian plaintiffs. But Okpabi, wearing a traditional robe with a red necklace and black top hat, said the English justice system was his only hope to end the blight on his people's lives. "Shell is Nigeria and Nigeria is Shell. You can never, never defeat Shell in a Nigerian court. The truth is that the Nigerian legal system is corrupt," he said. He wants the High Court to compel Shell to implement a 2011 landmark report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which warned of dangerously high levels of hydrocarbons in the water, bitumen-coated mangroves and poor air quality. It should order the company to "go and clean-up Ogale, go and provide water for them; go and do medical history for them, and where medical attention is needed provide for them," he said. The king said no money would be enough to address the damage, which UNEP warned could take 25 to 30 years to resolve, but wants compensation, adding: "We are dying." Sabotage Shell will challenge the jurisdiction of the English courts in the case during three days of hearings this week, while it also disputes the claims made by lawyers Leigh Day, who represent Ogale and the smaller Bille community. "Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta," a company spokeswoman said. She noted SPDC has not produced any oil or gas in Ogoniland, the region surrounding Ogale, since 1993. But Okpabi and his lawyers say the company's ageing, leaky pipelines still run through the region and it must take responsibility. SPDC says it has delivered water and healthcare to the community and is supporting the implementation of the UNEP process by the government, which in June launched a $1 billion (£800 million, 940 million euros) oil pollution clean-up programme in the Niger Delta. Okpabi said he believed President Muhammadu Buhari is "sincere" in wanting to address the issue, but warned: "If we wait for the system to roll on its own, I hate to say this, but it may be too late for the people of Ogale." Attacks on Nigerian pipelines have increased this year, cutting output and helping tip the country into recession, but Okpabi insists "there is no vandalising" in Ogale. The king condemned the saboteurs, warning that "you cannot bomb your house to get attention". However, he added: "I'm also appealing to Shell and the Nigerian government to listen to those communities that are non-violent and do something." In January 2015, Shell agreed to pay more than $80 million to the Nigerian fishing community of Bodo for two oil spills in 2008, following a case brought by Leigh Day in London. In December, a Dutch court permitted four Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue the company for environmental pollution, potentially opening the door to other cases to be brought in the Netherlands. (AFP)

With polluted water in hand, Nigerian king takes Shell to court in London

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