SA Termoelectrica was issued with a number of prescriptions following a surprise inspection carried out by environmental experts as a result of reports about the burying of crude oil on the company’s territory. It was determined that the content of oil products in the examined samples was about 66 times higher than the maximum admissible concentration, IPN reports.

The Ministry of Environment said that inspectors of the Central Staff of the Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and the Chisinau Environmental Protection Inspectorate conducted an unplanned inspection at the Fuel Service of Termoelectrica on July 25. Soil samples were taken for determining the pollution level. On July 28, the Soil Quality Laboratory established that the content of oil products in the examined samples was about 66 times higher than the maximum admissible concentration. The damage caused to soil resources is to be covered by Termoelectrica.

The company is to also take measures to eliminate the cause of soil pollution within 30 workdays. The measures will include the gathering and safe storing of the contaminated soil and taking this to a company specialized in decontamination of components of environment.

Recently, the chairman of Our Party Renato Usatyi presented videos showing how a large quantity of crude oil was being buried within the precincts of Termoelectrica. He noted that this happened during the 2022-2023 heating season, since the crude oil was received in 2022. Earlier, the administration of Termoelectrica denied the reports, saying that the crude oil, since it was purchased in 2022, hasn’t been poured out or buried and no accidents occurred in the technological process of receiving, transfer, storing or using the crude oil. According to the company, the given videos can show an incident dating from 2015, when a quantity of crude oil poured out. Last week, Vasile Leu resigned as director of Termoelectrica. Iurie Rozlovan will hold the post on an interim basis.