KERCH STRAIT OIL SPILL UNDER CONTROL, BUT LONG TERM CLEANUP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 005372 SIPDIS EPA FOR PI/EKIMOFF/THOMPSON DOE/PI FOR K. THOMPSON AND L. EKIMOFF CEQ FOR CONNAUGHTON HOMELAND SECURITY FOR U.S. COAST GUARD SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ENRG PREL RS SUBJECT: KERCH STRAIT OIL SPILL UNDER CONTROL, BUT LONG TERM CLEANUP REQUIRED Sensitive but unclassified, not for internet distribution. -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Despite continuing storms in the Kerch Strait, the GOR reports that it has staunched the flow and has begun containment and cleanup of the 2000 tons of oil spilled over the weekend. The GOR is cooperating with Ukraine, but has not requested any international assistance. The Federal Service for the Oversight of Natural Resources told us, however, that if an American expert wished to come and "survey the situation," Russian authorities would be "ready for active cooperation." While the GOR appears to have the immediate situation in hand, Embassy supports, if feasible, the USG offering to send out an expert (or experts) to help address the long-term consequences of the spill. End Summary. -------------- Background -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On November 11, severe storms in the area of the Kerch Strait (which runs between the Black and Azov Seas near Crimea) caused one Russian oil tanker to split apart, and damaged several others. Deputy Chairman of Russia's Federal Service for the Oversight of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor) Oleg Mitvol, currently on-site, confirmed to us November 13 that about 2000 tons of oil had spilled as a result of the storm. He noted that over 8000 tons more could have spilled, but that technicians had been able to successfully drain one tanker as well as two damaged barges. -------------- Current Situation -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Mitvol reported that half the spilled oil has already sunk below the surface of the water, and the rest has washed ashore or is floating on the surface. There are currently about 750 volunteers and military personnel cleaning the beaches. The GOR is using booms to contain floating oil, but is battling rough sea conditions. Over 30,000 birds have already been impacted by the oil. The sinking of more oil to the seabed will likely cause significant damage to marine life. Mitvol predicted that the environmental impact and cleanup efforts could last years. The Azov Sea has very limited water circulation, so nature acting alone would be slow to mitigate the damage. Mitvol indicated that EMERCOM and the Russian Navy would carry out the long-term cleanup efforts. -------------- Working with Ukraine -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Most of the spill occurred in or is flowing toward Russian waters, Mitvol told us. Although the GOR met with the GOU for discussions on November 12, Mitvol reported that the GOU is not yet "very focused" on the environmental cleanup. Ukraine did, however, request that Russia provide divers and chemical treating agents. The GOR is considering erecting a temporary dam to block oil flows from the Strait into the Azov Sea. (Russia had previously used this technique to block flows from China's Sungari river, a tributary of Russia's polluted Amur river.) -------------- No Requests for Assistance -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Mitvol and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources both report that the GOR has requested no international assistance. The EU Mission to Russia told us that the EU has offered assistance through the Russian Mission to the EU in Brussels and also through EMERCOM in Moscow, but has not received a reply. Mitvol told us that "if an American expert wished to come and survey the situation, we are ready for active cooperation." When we asked Greenpeace Russia if they thought assistance might be needed, they replied that the scale of damage is not that large, and that EMERCOM should be capable of handling it. -------------- MOSCOW 00005372 002 OF 002 Comment and Action Request -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Although very damaging, the Kerch Strait's 2000-ton spill is much smaller in scale than the 2002 Prestige spill in Spain (63,000 tons) or the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska (40,000 tons). In the short-term, the GOR appears to have the situation in hand. Nonetheless, Embassy favors, if feasible, a USG offer to send out an expert or experts to assist Russia in planning for long-term clean-up activities. This offer would be consistent with the spirit of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Dialogue on Oil Spill Prevention and Response, initiated in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Russian Energy Ministry. (A U.S.-Russia Oil Spill Workshop is planned for November 19-20 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.) Both EPA and the Coast Guard have also been carrying on dialogs over the years with Russia on this topic. Washington please advise feasibility of offering to send out an expert or experts. BURNS