On December 15, 2024, two Russian oil tankers suffered an oil spill in the Black Sea, which attracted widespread attention. The cause of this incident is complex and has far-reaching impacts. Let us have a deeper understanding and explore countermeasures.
Cause of the incident
Old ships: The involved tankers “Volgoneft 212” and “Volgoneft 239” are old, with serious aging of hull structure and equipment, reduced sealing and wind and wave resistance, and easy to break and leak under the impact of storms.
Bad weather: The Black Sea often has strong winds and waves in winter. The strong storm on that day exceeded the endurance limit of the old tanker, causing it to shake violently, the oil equipment in the cabin broke, and a large amount of oil leaked.
Regulatory loopholes: The local shipping regulatory department did not strictly review the seaworthiness of the ship, did not force the old tanker to maintain, and did not urge it to take shelter before the storm, which put it in danger.
Solution
Emergency cleanup
Organization cleanup: About 4,000 volunteers used oil absorption felt, skimmers and other tools to absorb and collect oil pollution along the 49-kilometer coastline. They need to wear waterproof, oil-proof and corrosion-resistant full-body protective work clothes, oil-resistant and non-slip gloves, anti-fog and anti-impact protective glasses and high-waist protective boots.
Calling for pollution-cleaning ships: Professional ships are equipped with powerful suction devices to clean deep-sea oil pollution, and the crew on board also need to take good protection.
Purifying the coastline: Use high-pressure water guns, chemical cleaning agents and manual cleaning of polluted coastlines, and staff must wear protective equipment.
Biological rescue
Rescue marine life: The expert team sets up a rescue station to clean oil pollution, provide food and medical care for injured birds, and rescuers need to wear disposable medical gloves to prevent the spread of germs and oil pollution.
Release microbial preparations: Release probiotics and other beneficial microorganisms to decompose harmful substances in petroleum, and release personnel must wear a full set of protective equipment when working at sea.
Long-term prevention
Strengthen supervision: Establish a strict annual inspection system, require regular safety inspections and equipment maintenance for old ships, and prohibit going out to sea if they do not meet safety standards.
Early warning mechanism: Meteorological and shipping departments cooperate to accurately predict bad weather, issue early warnings to ships in a timely manner and force them to avoid wind and risks.
Environmental awareness: Training and publicity make the oil transportation industry aware of the hazards of oil spills, urge them to comply with environmental protection laws and regulations, and strengthen safety protection.
The Superpangol team is professional in disaster relief, experienced and equipped with advanced equipment. If you encounter protection problems or need assistance, please contact us immediately to protect the marine environment! Let us work together to protect the Black Sea ecology and reduce the harm of oil spills!
