The town that reveals how Russia spills two Deepwater Horizons of oil each year

Oil spills in the Komi Republic caused by old pipelines are relatively small and rarely garner widespread attention - but added up they threaten fish stocks and pasture for cattleThe Komi Republic in northern Russia is renowned for its many lakes, but sites contaminated by oil are almost just as easy to find in the Usinsk oilfields. From pumps dripping oil and huge ponds of black sludge to dying trees and undergrowth -- a likely sign of an underground pipeline leak -- these spills are relatively small and rarely garner media attention. But they add up quickly, threatening fish stocks, pasture land and drinking water. According to the natural resources and environment minister, Sergei Donskoi, 1.5m tonnes of oil are spilled in Russia each year. That's more than twice the amount released by the record-breaking Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Continue reading...