Russia to Monitor All Bunker Operations for Environmental Compliance

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday November 19, 2014

Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has begun "comprehensive" monitoring of bunkering in all Russian ports for compliance with environmental regulations, reports PortNews. 

The bunkering industry, according to Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi, will have all aspects of their activity investigated, which will range from verifying permits to evaluations of the impact of current infrastructure on the environment. 

Companies will also undergo close scrutiny for possible breaches in custom duties for the removal of fuel, in particular for ships sailing under foreign flags.

The first phase, said Donskoi, will see both foreign and Russian bunkering companies, vessels, oil tanks farms and ports in the Primorsk territory, Kaliningrad region, and Saint-Petersburg submit to monitoring.

A Russian governor was also reported last month to have pushed for a ban on at-seas bunkering after several oil spills raised environmental concerns,