Bulgaria Fines Lukoil's Refinery Over Petrol Spill

Bulgaria's environment ministry said on Thursday it had fined LUKOIL's Neftochim Burgas refinery 100,000 levs ($58,282) after a petrol spill into a lake near the Black Sea city of Burgas.

 

"The sanction is for pollution and violation of the company's licence," Environment minister Ivelina Vasileva said in a statement.

 

The ministry said the refinery could face new fines if dead birds or mammals, which are protected species, are found.

 

Up to 40 tonnes of petrol spilled into a lake near Burgas after a product pipeline of LUKOIL's Neftochim Burgas refinery ruptured late on Wednesday.

 

Fire brigades rushed to the scene and teams measured the air pollution in the area, but there was no danger to the population of a nearby village nor a remote Burgas suburb.

 

LUKOIL's Neftochim Burgas was not immediately available to comment.

 

A spokeswoman for LUKOIL Bulgaria confirmed the leak on Wednesday night, adding that a rupture in the pipeline was most probably a result of a criminal act.