The State Environmental Service (SES) is monitoring the water in the Daugava at the Latvian border to track whether pollution from the fire at the oil refinery in Novopolotsk (Belarus) has entered the river, reported the head of the public relations department of the SES, Aija Jalinska.
The Novopolotsk oil refinery (NPP) is located about 100 km from the Latvian border, near the banks of the Daugava.
The State Environmental Service (SES) and the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have contacted the responsible authorities in Belarus, who assured that as a result of the fire and firefighting efforts, no pollution has entered the Daugava.
However, to ensure there is no pollution, the SES, in cooperation with the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, is conducting water sample analysis.
Currently, there is no data on pollution in the Daugava - neither in Latvia nor in Belarus. The SES, together with the SFRS and the State Border Guard, continues to collect water samples upstream of the river, checking water quality and conducting visual observations.
As explained by the SES, fires of this type can potentially cause various types of pollution, such as ash, combustion products, or chemicals used in firefighting.
The SES urges residents of border areas to monitor the river and, if signs of possible water pollution are noticed, such as oil spots or dead fish, not to use the water for domestic purposes, not to allow dogs or other animals to swim, and to immediately report the pollution to the service.
