VIDEO // Environment Minister: We installing capture filters to prevent pollution of Dniester

Environmental authorities have intervened to limit the impact of oil slicks that have appeared on the Dniester River in the northern area of the Republic of Moldova. Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder stated that the responsible institutions are mobilized and working in a coordinated manner to prevent the spread of pollution and to collect the substances on the water surface.

According to the minister, following an emergency meeting attended by representatives of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (GIES), the Environmental Protection Inspectorate, the Environment Agency and the National Authority “Apele Moldovei”, it was decided to install special filters to capture petroleum products.

“In the next few hours, a filter, a capture barrier, will be installed in the area of the Căsăuți water station so that we can gather and collect all this waste. The goal is to prevent the spreading of these substances along the river course,” said Gheorghe Hajder.

The minister specified that water samples were taken in the very first hours after the incident was reported, and the preliminary results of the analyses are to be made public during the day.

“The preliminary analyses, which were collected as early as yesterday morning, will be available this afternoon and we will communicate them to the public. Until then, we are maintaining the precautionary recommendations announced earlier,” Hajder said.

Authorities emphasize that, so far, there is no indication that the petroleum products pose a risk to the drinking water consumed by the population. The Environment Minister explained that these products remain on the water surface, and the existing hydrotechnical infrastructure provides an additional level of protection.

“This water has not reached Chișinău, and the Dubăsari dam functions as a natural filter that does not allow these petroleum substances to pass, since they remain on the surface of the water. Nevertheless, we will make sure they are removed before they can travel further downstream,” the minister noted.

In parallel, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova have requested official information from Ukraine in order to clarify the circumstances under which the discharges of petroleum products may have occurred.

“We have sent an official request to the Ukrainian side to find out exactly what caused these leaks. At this time, there is only preliminary information and we do not wish to provide unconfirmed data,” said Gheorghe Hajder.

According to preliminary data received from Ukraine, it is a quantity of approximately one to one and a half tons of petroleum products that reached the water. The Environment Minister mentioned that although petroleum products do not mix directly with water, they can pose a danger to the ecosystem if they are not collected quickly.

“Any substance that accidentally reaches the water presents a potential danger. That is why we need to intervene proactively and reduce the risks as much as possible,” the official stressed.

The responsible institutions continue to monitor the situation on the Dniester and to collect water samples from several points in order to assess the environmental impact. The authorities assure that they will inform the public as soon as the final analysis results are available and that they will take all necessary measures to prevent contamination of the watercourse.