Oil spill from Russian plant blast spreads

Charity Davenport
9/11/09
3:07pm

According to a Moscow article posted on August 19th, an oil spill occurred from an explosion at a Siberian hydroelectric plant and it spread downstream in the Yenisei River. When the explosion occurred, two water ducts collapsed at a power station and a fuel tank ruptured. Even though the Russian natural resources minister said he was “greatly concerned” about the pollution, he also stated that the contamination was under control and “contained”. The spill spread over a distance of about 50 miles. On the other hand, a director at the Russian branch of an environmental group said that the oil spill was a major risk to wildlife. Since the oil is low-density, it doesn’t sink to the bottom, but instead remains on the surface—making it a threat for fish and other wildlife.

I found this article to be very interesting, however I was appalled to read that the natural resources minster didn’t see the oil spill as a threat. I would definitely have to agree with the director of the environmental group, because oil spills can be very harmful to animals and their environment. Fish, birds, and other animals can all be affected by the oil. It can get into the lungs and liver of animals, possibly causing death. They may also experience body temperature fluctuations. It can get on the wings of birds and make it nearly impossible for them to flee from predators. Not only could it negatively affect animals, but it could affect the water supply of people as well. Oil spills should not be taken lightly. Even if they are “contained”, the spills could still cause great harm to both animals and people.

http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/08/19/Oil-spill-from-Russian-plant-blast-spreads/UPI-31071250697518/