If They Had Been Operational, November 11 Could Have Resulted in an Environmental Catastrophe At the Tamanneftegas and Toliattiazot Terminals

In spite of the steady attention on the environmental catastrophe in the Strait of Kerch, there are a number of important facts that have not been well understood.

One of these is the incidents taking place in a different part of the Taman Peninsula—in the area of construction of the Tamanneftegas and Toliattiazot terminals. These terminals are close to the entrance to the Strait of Kerch, near the village of Volna.

Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus has learned that several incidents took place here on November 11th.

The most serious of these was the fact that three ladders on the sea platform of the oil and gas terminal of Tamnneftegas sustained serious damage as a result of the storm. They were repaired under cover of darkness during the night. We received this information from local residents and from company workers, who asked to remain anonymous.

The second incident involved the sea platform of the company Toliattiazot, which is building a terminal for the transport of ammonia. A pontoon crane was torn from the platform and was carried by the waves for a while before it ran aground. It was sheer luck that the pontoon crane did not run into the Toliattiazot or Tamanneftegas platforms.

There are pipelines on these platforms. If the ammonia, gas and oil terminals had been operating, ammonia, liquified gas, fuel oil and petroleum products would have flowed into the sea. In this case, the November 11 incident could have resulted in a gash in the pipelines and yet another environmental catastrophe.

In addition, as reported by farmer Yuri Baluev, a resident of the village of Volna who lives close to both terminals and has a good view of the water, a dramatic event, which could have increased the day’s disaster, unfolded before his eyes. The storm carried a tanker directly toward the sea platform; fortunately, the worst did not happen and the tanker was able to maneuver itself away from the dangerous area.

All of these incidents underscore the high level of environmental danger of the Toliattiazot and Tamanneftegas projects.

The public and NGOs have protested against them for many years, and the fact that the pipelines on the sea platforms were empty on November 11 is thanks to those who have fought against them. If it were not for this fight, the transport of ammonia, liquefied gas, fuel oil and petroleum products would have already been fully underway.

And these incidents, against the backdrop of the environmental catastrophe that has occurred in the Strait of Kerch, again beg the question: is it acceptable to build oil, gas and chemical terminals on the unique land of Taman?

Translated by Crude Accountability

Information from Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus and Saving Taman!
Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus
Information Distribution
November 16, 2007