site.btaEnvironment Ministry Monitoring Sea Water Quality over Stranded Tanker, No Pollution Detected

The Ministry of Environment and Water has taken immediate action to dispel doubts about potential pollution of the Black Sea waters after a tanker ran aground off the coast of Ahtopol, the Ministry of Environment and Water reported Sunday.  The Black Sea Basin Directorate (BSBD) - Varna has deployed measuring devices and taken samples between Sozopol and Rezovo to provide data on the condition of the seawater. 

The samples will be tested for the following indicators: presence of petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180), 
benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, styrene, including vegetable oils, the press release reads.

The results obtained will be interpreted according to the environmental quality standards (EQS) specified in the Ordinance on  the Characterization of Surface Waters and the Ordinance on EQS for Priority Substances and Certain Pollutants. If deviations are found or if pollution is detected, follow-up actions will be taken, about which the public will be informed in a timely manner, the Ministry said.

At present, regular monitoring by the Ministry of Environment and Water does not report any deviations that indicate pollution of the sea waters in Bulgarian waters.

According to information provided on Saturday by Rumen Nikolov, head of the Emergency Rescue Operations Directorate at the Maritime Administration Executive Agency, the stranded tanker is called Kairos and is owned by a Chinese company. Currently, she is empty of cargo and is located about 700-800 metres off the coast of Ahtopol. The ship is stable and there is no danger to either the ten-member crew or the environment, he added.