Investigation launched over fuel oil leak at industrial facility
EDİRNE
An inquiry has been launched following a leak at the fuel oil pool of an asphalt construction site in Turkey’s northwestern province of Edirne.
The leaked pitch, which stemmed from an explosion and the cause of which is not known yet, at an asphalt construction site on April 5 covered the nearby agricultural areas.
Local officials were dispatched to the region after being notified of the incident.
“It has been observed that the bituminous material spread to the surrounding land with the collapse of the shear wall,” said Engin Öztürk, the provincial director of the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry.
“Cleaning efforts were started on the site, and companies authorized to remove soil pollution were immediately dispatched to the region,” another statement released by the ministry said.
However, the agricultural fields the stream passes by and a creek near it turned black with waste believed to be around 1,500 tons.
Workers and teams at the facility worked to clean up agricultural lands where the pitch had spread, while the pitch that had dried and hardened was lifted from the ground with the help of construction machinery.
“It has been determined that the facility in question started operating without an environmental impact assessment. Our administrative processes have started,” Öztürk added.
Mining sites, factories and similar enterprises in Turkey have to obtain an assessment report on the environmental impacts of their projects.
