Hazardous Waste Spill in Norilsk, Northern Russia

Hazardous Waste Spill in Norilsk, Northern Russia
In May 2020, approximately 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled at Norilsk Nickel's CHPP-3 power plant. The fuel contaminated the Amber and Dardikan rivers and reached the Arctic Ocean. The cause is the sinking of storage tank foundations due to thawing permafrost, with climate change and aging infrastructure as the background. In the Dardikan River, the pollution exceeds the legal concentration by 2,000 times. The Russian government declared a state of emergency and imposed a fine of approximately 220 billion yen on the company, while cleanup operations failed to fully recover. Ecosystems and residents were severely affected, and cancer rates and respiratory diseases increased. The need for stricter regulations is discussed internationally, and the company announces a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.