Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Mayor Charged Over Failure to Contain Arctic Spill

Norilsk Mayor Rinat Akhmetchin. Uosnorilsk / Wikicommons

The mayor of Russia's Arctic city of Norilsk has been charged with negligence over his response to a spill that dumped thousands of tons of diesel fuel into local waterways, investigators said Thursday.

Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement that Rinat Akhmetchin had failed in his duties to contain the spill, which environmentalists say is the largest to have ever hit the Arctic.

The spill of over 21,000 tons of fuel took place after a reservoir collapsed on May 29 at a power plant operated by a subsidiary of metals giant Norilsk Nickel in the city.

Much of the fuel leaked into local rivers and lakes, creating red stains so big that they could be seen from space. Clean-up efforts are expected to take years and cost Norilsk Nickel nearly $150 million.

The committee, Russia's top federal investigation agency, said that after learning of the spill Akhmetchin "did not take proper measures to respond to the emergency situation and deal with its consequences."

It said he failed to organize a proper environmental response and monitoring of the spill, or to coordinate local efforts.

Akhmetchin, a 55-year-old who has headed the city government since September 2017, faces up to six months in prison if convicted.

Several staff at the plant have also been detained over the spill, which Greenpeace Russia has said is comparable to the Exxon Valdez disaster off the coast of Alaska in 1989.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more