"Adequate Save the Pechora Committee member" — that's me. They told me yesterday.
I don’t even know how to treat this (It has probably been a while since I have eaten fish that tasted like oil). But yesterday, the unthinkable happened — I commended LUKOIL. Commended for a reason, I think. For banking in the West Tebuk field. And I commended not because it was beautiful on top, but because it was really necessary (feature of the area — crisscrossed by streams). Well, I am going to right myself.
I am grateful to the Pechora environmental prosecutor Dmitry Perminov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Komi Roman Polshvedkin, rigidly insisted on my participation in the area survey; I am grateful to representatives of LUKOIL-Komi, not strongly resisted my passage on board of the helicopter, and there were very decent people in the committee in general.
And the sky of course! I was just wigged out. Parachute, mountains. Body recalled all the sensations, no walls around. But noisy.
Well, now shortly and rigidly, if I can.
21.05.2014 — flood commission examined some fields of the Sosnogorsky, Vuktylsky, and Pechora regions. I am an observer from the Save the Pechora Committee.
9:00 — meeting in the city administration of Ukhta. LUKOIL-Komi LLC didn’t approve the flight plan with anyone from the Commission. And the scheme took some time to appear.
I came to the commission with a message about a concealed major flood of floating oil near well № 616 near Nizhny Odes, and Pashnya was “given away” by representative of "LUKOIL-Komi" LLC Trusov. "Gave away" by telling blatant lie. Received a message about the oil spill, and on the offer of the public prosecutor to examine Pashnva on the ground, Trusov answered that they needed 4 hours to get there from Nizhny Odes, then it was 5 (3 with all the delays — I would have believed). Already on North Kozhva they said that there was no place to land the helicopter (like I didn’t fly to Pashnya for the shift). Well it was clear that we needed to get right there.
The route — Ukhta, Nizhny Odes, further like on the picture. In Pashnya we inspected 2 oil spills on the ground, a sludge tank. From Pashnya to Odes; I inspected an oil spill and 2 sludge tanks in Odes.
I had an impression that we were flying to beautiful places. So unplanned Pashnya was clearly not ready for an "air raid".
Although it could be used. Flight from the West Tebuk to North Savinobor could be carried out along the pipeline.
Also flight from Pashnya to Odes was not even close to the road with the pipeline Pashnya — West Tebuk. That were 2 big reasons for the survey.
I was shooting a lot, but often didn’t have time, couldn’t set an optimal sharpness, navigator lost a signal for a couple of times.
Liftoff in Ukhta
The West Tebuk
The helicopter got to Odes from the gardens (my mom said that she was waving). Did a couple of circles. I got the direction badly. Didn’t see my spill (others saw). Noticed another spill, but did not even understand where it was. Would find later. The old fashioned way, on foot. Was pleasantly surprised by fresh bankings. Most of them were not there a couple of years ago.
Among other surveyed industries only North Savinobor, Pashninskoye and Beregovoye a little were familiar to me. The rest of the examined industries I will make out from geotags. I figured out how to compare the time points of the navigator with the time of pictures.
North Kozhva
Imperceptibly, flied around a storm front, arrived to North Kozhva.
Full meal cost me 106 rubles. While waiting the helicopter to get refueled, we played tennis, I recharge the phone, dried. The building of the shift camp was clean and comfortable, but I am extremely skeptical to the accomplishment. The prosecutor offered a variant with the landing on Pashnya, and then by car with a stop at the West Tebuk spill. We decided to discuss the presence of a helipad with the helicopter pilots.
Helicopter arrived simultaneously with clearing of weather, floating away our caps.
I think we flew over Kyrtayolskoye field, I dozed off. Was thinking till Nizhny Odes.
Pashninskoye, Beregovoye fields
Opened my eyes I was very pleasantly surprised by views of Pechora in the area of Pashnya. Still, we're going there. I have pleasant and not very pleasant memories regarding Pashnya, 10 years of life, and that is where I realized that I can fight with the arbitrariness and sometimes successfully.
A helicopter made a small circle and landed. Commission members noted the pollution near the village. I noted a lot of scrap metal and local pollutions within the well sites.
I have many friends in Pashnya, and while waiting for transport I went to hug those whom I could find. They were glad to see me, it was nice. Pashnya (in the past — Neftepechorsk) has not changed since 2006. Сellular communication appeared. MTS.
I also know the chief of industry and I am sincerely sorry that he has to work in such conditions. Well, at least it's his choice.
The helicopter was waiting for us. We were given an hour.
A floating oil spill on the mountain
As it turned out later an area is about a hectare. According to Google, 350 meters to Little Kylym. "Spill 1" on the scheme
Sludge tank
It seemed to me that it was almost full and it was dirty around it. Pollution around the sludge tank partly flew on.
I apologies for the quality. It was a downpour
Spill hidden near the village
Going there. Though Trusov is trying to convince that there are no their objects (either electricians, or signalers worked here), committee members found a buried spill of floating oil (100-150 meters long) and traces of burning. "Spill 2" on the scheme. It will be difficult to assess. Unpleasant place. It is for about 300 meters till Pechora in a straight line, and as far as I know, there is a stream that runs through to Pechora in 400 meters.
My opinion: environmental prosecutor's office can post a representative to Pashnya for a month (and even on a permanent basis). There is enough work.
Around this time, the fire had already been discussed in Usinsk.
We flied to Nizhny Odes.
Pechora after rain
Flew over Beregovoye field. Just a picture.
As we flew farther away from the pipeline, then had to admire the huge amount of burnt forest from Konashyolya to Nizhny Odes (there was a strong fire round 2003).
Nizhny Odes. West Tebuk field
Before landing we made a good circle. I could finally photograph my hometown.
And a view of the departing helicopter in the sun impressed me. Have a good flight, iron bird! Thank you!
Floating oil spill near ZU-44
Someone from the Commission estimated that there was about 20 cubes of oil.
Floating oil from the spill site leaked to a swamp for about 100 meters, iridescent film has accumulated there, bypassing the water trap and super-innovative-of-the-twenty-first-century weapon of Lukoil — spruce branches, still leaking somewhere.
At the time of the survey there is no elimination of the spill. My conclusion: it means that people and equipment are needed more somewhere. Where?
The first report of this spill we got on 14.05.2014 from hunters, but the place were not defined clearly, have said precisely on 20.05.2014 indicating that work is underway, and I checked.
Sludge tanks
So many questions. Version that there is a clay castle raised not only my doubts. Lukoil seems to be very poor to afford a construction of normal sludge tanks.
That is all for this day.
Results
Yesterday, 16:00. The signing of acts. Results. Recommendations. Instructions. Assessment. Everything is in the act. Many things. I will get the act later. I hope so.
Comparing with Usinsk surveyed territories are radically better. (That's what I saw myself in 2012). Although is there just more sand may be?
Timing of notification to regulatory authorities provoked a discussion. Lukoilovtsy insist on a period of 24 hours. MES and other prosecutors think differently.
I used the term "integrity". An order of Rostechnadzor does not prohibit them to report before.
Lukoil understood everything, will work.
On the commission. This is a completely different level compared to what I have faced before. Usually it’s great if one or two are gunning for the case and are not afraid of Lukoil, and here —everyone. Very surprising and pleasant. Come here often.
On the organization. Implications for the future. It is still better to fly to problem areas, pre-studied; in my opinion, participation of some local independent community members is a very positive development. Maps and diagrams in sufficient quantity. Automatic navigator-based shooting would also significantly facilitate fixation of events.
And a couple of honest representatives of Lukoil LLC wouldn’t go amiss, but it, I need hardly say, is from beyond, I don’t insist.
Finally, I want to turn to Mr. Trusov. Well, you fooled everyone, avoided fines. Did you become happier? Do souls of murdered fries of valuable fish species attend you at night? If earlier your lie made me want to feed you with oil then and there, now I feel pity for you. An adult, but talk nonsense sometimes. Tell me, what can we arrange for with such an attitude?
