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Russian pipeline breach no threat to environment - ministry

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An oil leak from a pipeline near the Belarusian border poses no threat to the environment, a spokesman for the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday.
MOSCOW, July 31 (RIA Novosti) - An oil leak from a pipeline near the Belarusian border poses no threat to the environment, a spokesman for the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday.

Sunday's accident on the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline, which runs from Russia to central Europe and is controlled by Russia's state-owned pipeline monopoly Transneft, caused a spillage of 48 cubic meters of oil over an area of 340 meters in the Bryansk Region.

"The oil spillage was insignificant and poses no threat to the environment. We have completely dealt with the accident. The polluted layer of soil has been cut off and taken away for utilization," Viktor Beltsov said.

He denied media reports about serious soil pollution, and said the pipeline's operations had resumed at noon.

The Russian Natural Resources Ministry said that its experts did not regard the accident as an environmental catastrophe

"Experts of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Natural Resources of the Natural Resources Ministry say the oil pipeline breach may be characterized as a medium accident causing pollution of a major section of the state forest reserves," the ministry said.

A ministry commission is currently investigating the causes and circumstances of the accident.

Inspectors will also check the observation of environmental legislation in dealing with the oil spill, and soil recultivation.

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