Servicemen intervene in north Moldova district to manage pollution of Dniester River

The National Army will intervene in support of central and local authorities, in order to manage the crisis caused by pollution of the Dniester River water, which is affecting more localities of north Moldova.

According to the Defense Ministry, the military will take part in support actions with personnel, equipment and military vehicles, in cooperation with the responsible institutions, including employees of the Environment Ministry.

The forces and resources of the National Army meant for interventions in emergency situations are ready to be deployed in the field, in order to help manage the situation and support the authorities involved in limiting the effects of the pollution.

In the context, the military will set up an intervention camp in the locality of Curesnita, Soroca district, which will serve as a coordination point for the actions carried out in managing the Dniester River water pollution crisis.

Also today, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

"Through this mechanism, we are requesting support from our European partners for the rapid mobilization of specialists’ teams and the equipment needed to manage the situation on the ground. This refers to equipment for capturing, retaining and collecting oil impurities from the water, as well as mobile stations for testing water’s quality. This support is necessary, in order to strengthen the intervention capacity of the responsible institutions – the Environment Ministry, through the Environment Agency and Apele Moldovei (Moldova’s Waters), the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations and the National Agency for Public Health – which are involved in monitoring and managing the situation," said the prime minister.

The authorities of Moldova today raised the alert level in the northern area of the country, after laboratory analyses indicated that the admissible limits of certain polluting substances in the Dniester River water had been exceeded. Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder made statements to this effect. He said that the situation was being constantly monitored and that additional measures are being implemented to protect the population.