Oil from Sunken Iranian Tanker May Have Reached Japan Shore: Coast Guard

Clumps of oil have washed up on the shores of southern Japan and there are fears they may be leaking from an Iranian crude tanker that sank in the world's worst such disaster in decades, the Japanese Coast Guard said Friday.

No efforts spared in rescue for tanker Sanchi: China

China has set up an efficient interministry coordination team to handle the aftermath of the sunken oil tanker Sanchi, which includes monitoring and cleaning up the marine oil slick that was left and conducting regular search and recovery operations, senior officials said on Friday.

Worse than Exxon Valdez? Fears rise ‘all fuel escaped’ from ill-fated Iranian oil tanker

Chinese authorities are struggling to contain what may be the worst oil tanker spill and environmental disaster of its kind in history, after the stricken Iranian ship. The Sanchi, finally sank over the weekend.

Greece struggles to clean up oil spill

A major clean-up operation which was underway on Thursday to address an oil spill that has spread across a large area of the Saronic Gulf will last for about three weeks, Greek Shipping minister Panagiotis Kouroumblis told a press briefing.

Genaris Eco oceans News (January 2016)

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Scientists have detected heightened levels of radioactivity in the waters along the west coast of Canada and the United States, which can be traced back to the Japanese nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011.......Fukushima radioactivity detected off coast of U.S., Canada

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(December 2015)

Oil Tanker Grounded and Spilled Oil Off Sakhalin

Authorities said the product tanker Nadezhda ran aground off Nevelsk on Sakhalin Island in the North Pacific Ocean.

Wild animals have returned to Chernobyl despite radiation

Nearly 30 years after the world's largest nuclear accident, the Chernobyl site now looks less like a disaster zone and more like a nature preserve, teeming with elk, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and wolves, researchers said Monday.

The Dead Sea is dying

 On the Dead Sea's coast in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers, Palestinians and tourists make the downhill trek from the former waterline to its new resting place.

Disaster predicted as glaciers retreat

Since the 1950s, China's glaciers have retreated by about 7,600 square kilometers, or around 18 percent. An average of 247 square kilometers of glacial ice has disappeared every year.

Russian diplomat calls for joint use of emerging opportunities in Arctic

The opportunities that are emerging in the Arctic should be used jointly for the benefit of the whole region, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and senior official at the Arctic Council, Vladimir Barbin, said on Monday.

Spain could face 50 degree heatwaves by 2050

Spain could face heatwaves with temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius by the year 2050, according to a report on the effects of climate change published on Tuesday.

The document, "1950-2050: The Impact of Climate Change in Spain and Europe: perception and impact," was drawn up for the environmentalist party Equo by Spanish climatologist, Jonathan Gomez Cantero.

Japan remembers Fukushima disaster victims four years on

On the fourth anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, Japan has remembered the thousands who lost their lives. The quake-tsunami disaster sparked a nuclear crisis which has left the country at odds over nuclear power. 

Turkey nuke plant to last 100 years (Rosatom CEO)

Turkey’s first nuclear power plant to be built on the country’s southern coast will connect Turkey and Russia for at least 100 years, said the plant’s Russian builder, Rosatom.

“We are giving 60 years of guarantee for the Akkuyu nuclear plant, but I’m sure that it will have a lifespan of 80-100 years,” said Rosatom CEO Sergei Kirienko.

Tugboat Prepares to Tow Russian Cargo Ship Into Sheltered Waters

A tugboat arrived Saturday night to tow the disabled Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel further away from Canada's British Columbia shores and into more sheltered waters, a spokesperson with the Canadian Forces' Joint Rescue Coordination Center said.
"When they get the vessel under tow, they'll first head in a northwesterly direction and get it further from the coastline and eventually into more sheltered waters to the north of Haida Gwaii… Then a decision will be made on where to take it," Navy Lt. Pendergast told Canadian TV news channel CTVNews.

Emergency: Russian cargo ship with 450 tons of fuel adrift off Canada coast (VIDEO)

Canadian and US coast guards have been struggling to tow a 135-meter Russian cargo ship after it lost power in gale force wind conditions. As 450 tons of bunker oil and diesel were on board the ship, the situation prompted fears of an ecological disaster.

Cargo ship Simushir went adrift on Thursday off the West coast of Haida Gwaii, located near British Columbia. The vessel left Everett, Washington and was bound to Russia.

As the ship became incapacitated amid the storm, its plight raised an alarm in the regional media, as 400 tons of oil and about 50 tons of diesel fuel it was carrying were deemed enough for an environmental catastrophe, in case the vessel ran aground...............................http://rt.com/news/197192-ship-adrift-oil-canada/

Akkuyu nuclear power plant: No reasons for deteriorating relations with Russia (Turkish energy minister)

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said on Friday he did not see any reasons for deteriorating relations with Russia in the energy sector.

“As for the projects that we are currently implementing with Russia there are no reasons, which can cause problems due to the EU sanctions. Our relations are stable in gas issues and in other spheres,” Yildiz said.

Russia and Turkey are implementing a project to build the Akkuyu nuclear power plant at Mersin Province on the Mediterranean coast, he said.

Environment report for first nuclear plant in Akkuyu yells out: ‘Don’t build it’ (Coastal nuclear plants mostly in cold seas)

Data collected in the controversial environmental impact assessment report (ÇED) regarding Turkey’s prospective first nuclear plant in Akkuyu in Mersin has provided serious warnings that the plant could hurt the region’s ecosystem once it comes operational.

A leading expert on marine sciences who spoke to Doğan News Agency said the data was not interpreted in the light of its potential ecological damage.

Russia gives $1.39 bln for Turkey’s first nuclear plant. --The reactor’s construction is estimated to begin in 2016

Turkey has received $1.39 billion from Russia for the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu for the first quarter of 2014.

Akkuyu NGS, Russia’s state-run nuclear company Rosatom’s subsidiary in Turkey, has started increasing its investments. 

According to company officials, once the environmental evaluation report (ÇED) is approved, ground preparations and infrastructural investments will speed up in the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear plant.

Ισπανία: Η κυβέρνηση θα ασκήσει έφεση στην απόφαση για το "Prestige"/España apelará sentencia del "Prestige" (video)

Η ισπανική κυβέρνηση πρόκειται να εφεσιβάλει την πρόσφατη απόφαση του δικαστηρίου στο οποίο εκδικαζόταν η υπόθεση του ναυαγίου, το 2002, του πετρελαιοφόρου δεξαμενόπλοιου Prestige, για να ζητήσει αποζημίωση για την χειρότερη περιβαλλοντική καταστροφή στην ιστορία της Ισπανίας, όπως διεμήνυσε σήμερα ο υπουργός Δικαιοσύνης Αλμπέρτο Ρουίθ-Γκαγιαρδόν.

Δικαστήριο στην Λα Κορούνια αποφάνθηκε την περασμένη εβδομάδα ότι δεν είναι δυνατόν να αποδοθούν ποινικές ευθύνες για τη βύθιση του πλοίου, το οποίο προκάλεσε μια τεράστια πετρελαιοκηλίδα στα ανοικτά της βορειοδυτικής περιφέρειας της Γαλικίας και μόλυνε 2.000 χλμ. της ακτογραμμής.

Αθωώθηκαν τα μέλη του πληρώματος του πετρελαιοφόρου Prestige. -Kαταδίκασε τον έλληνα καπετάνιο.

Η ισπανική δικαιοσύνη απήλλαξε των κατηγοριών τα μέλη του πληρώματος του πετρελαιοφόρου Prestige, το ναυάγιο του οποίου προκάλεσε τη μεγαλύτερη θαλάσσια οικολογική καταστροφή στην ιστορία της Ισπανίας.

Ωστόσο το δικαστήριο καταδίκασε τον έλληνα καπετάνιο του Πρεστίζ Απόστολο Μαγκούρα σε ποινή φυλάκισης εννέα μηνών επειδή αρνήθηκε τη ρυμούλκηση του πλοίου πριν από το ναυάγιο.

Το ελληνόκτητο δεξαμενόπλοιο Prestige, με σημαία Μπαχαμών, το οποίο είχε κατασκευαστεί το 1976 μετέφερε 77.000 τόννους πετρέλαιο από τη Λιθουανία στη Σιγκαπούρη.