INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian scientists have detected dangerously high levels of a carcinogen in soil samples taken from beaches contaminated by the Black Sea
oil spill, with one expert comparing the pollution to the U.S
benzopyrene levels 22.5 times above the legal limit, environmental scientist Viktor Danilov-Danilyan told the Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid
Sunday.Benzopyrene, a toxic compound also found in coal tar and tobacco smoke, poses serious health risks
15 when two Russian tankers were damaged in a storm off the coast of the southern Krasnodar region, releasing thousands of tons of heavy
fuel oil into the Black Sea.Emergency workers and volunteers, some of whom later sought medical attention for possible exposure to toxic
fumes, have so far removed 175,000 metric tons of contaminated sand from the affected beaches.President Vladimir Putin and scientists alike
to sue those responsible for the spill but has not yet disclosed who it will take to court
The two oil tankers were operated by the company Volgatransneft, while the heavy fuel oil on board the ships belonged to the state oil firm
Rosneft.Environment Minister Alexander Kozlov told Putin that cleanup operations will not be completed until the summer of 2026.Despite the
ongoing environmental crisis, Russian authorities have arranged summer vacations for disabled children at Black Sea resort destinations,
including Anapa, this spring and summer.
