The Latvian government intends to demand compensation from Belarus for an oil spill which contaminated a 200-kilometre stretch of river, officials confirmed Friday. The government is planning to ask for compensation when it becomes clear how much the spill has cost, Arno Pjatkin, spokesman for Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, told dpa. "There are several components to the problem. It's not just the direct pollution, there is also the cost of the rescue and clear-up work to be taken into account," he added. The spill began last Friday in western Belarus, when a pipeline carrying diesel from Russia to the Latvian port of Ventspils ruptured and began pouring its load into the ground. Belarusian rescue services plugged the leak, but not before a reported 100 tons of diesel had seeped into the ground, and thence to the Ulla river. The Ulla is a tributary of Latvia's largest river, the Daugava, which flows through both the country's second city, Daugavpils, and its capital, Riga. On Monday, a ten-kilometre slick of diesel was reported at the Latvian-Belarusian border, 60km upstream of Daugavpils. By Wednesday, the pollution had spread to the town of Jekabpils, 90km downstream of Daugavpils, and more was still flowing into Latvia. However, also Wednesday, rescue teams managed to drag oil- containment booms across the river at Daugavpils, greatly reducing the amount of diesel which escaped downstream. More booms were put in place downstream of Jekabpils on Thursday. "Practically speaking, we're now fully covered. Some diesel has reached the Plavinas dam (50km below Jekabpils), but there's so little that it's barely visible," said Vilis Avotins, head of the Latvian environmental agency. As of noon on Thursday, an estimated 3.3 tons of diesel had flowed into Latvia. The flow from Belarus has already reduced, and while it might continue for up to a week, it is unlikely to threaten the river below the Daugavpils booms, Avotins added. The Daugava has iconic status in Latvian folklore, literature and art. The spill has received considerable media attention, with some sources warning of an environmental disaster. Officials have been quick to quash any such rumours, however. On Thursday the mayor of Riga told the Leta news agency that there was no threat to the city's water supply, which is taken from the river. "Diesel spreads out very widely on water, so one drop can cover a huge area. The visual impact is immense, but in no way are we looking at an environmental catastrophe here," Avotins added. Latvia and Belarus are linked by Soviet-era pipelines built to carry Russian oil to the ports of the Baltic. However, much of the infrastructure is ageing and in need of repair. Last summer, Russia closed its crude oil pipeline to Lithuania after a leak. The pipe has not yet reopened.
