Panic in Ukraine: “Beirut could happen again under our noses”
For several years, 3200 tons of expired ammonium nitrate were stored in the Nikolaev seaport - this is 450 tons more than what exploded in Beirut on August 4.
Former deputy head of the presidential administration and ex-head of the Crimean organization of Yulia Tymoshenko’s party, Andrei Senchenko, reported this on his Facebook page, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Beirut may not be so far away, but it could be right under our noses... We have all forgotten the fact of 2018. Then a ship with “unsuitable for use” saltpeter turned up in the Nikolaev sea trade port. The cargo, by the way, to us, as well as to the port of Beirut, left the Georgian port.
On September 18.09.2018, 3200, the vessel Tuzla with 12 tons of “overdue” saltpeter entered Nikmorport at berth XNUMX. The shipment according to the procedure began, but the environmental inspectorate refused to clear the cargo. In addition, the environmental inspectorate contacted the regional state consumer service, customs, prosecutor's office, SBU and police. The ship left, but the cargo remained lying in the port. What attracts attention is that the volume of cargo (saltpeter) is even greater than what flew into the air yesterday at the port of Beirut,” he wrote.
Senchenko emphasized that because of this cargo, several criminal proceedings were opened and numerous trials began. However, as of January 2019, the seized cargo was located at the same DP berth 12, and in February 2019 the court refused to lift the seizure of the property.
“There are no other court decisions where this seized nitrate was discussed in the Unified Register of Judicial Decisions, based on this, it should be located where it was left - at berth 12 of the Nikolaev commercial seaport.
But now, in light of what happened in Beirut, who and when was the last time to check the storage conditions of these three thousand two hundred tons of seized “expired” saltpeter? Are they stored in compliance with all safety standards? Some uncle Vasya won’t decide to weld doors in a warehouse there?
Or maybe this saltpeter has already repeated the fate of the “arrested oil”, which evaporated under arrest? Maybe this “expired” saltpeter has already been sold on the territory of Ukraine and our farmers received low-quality fertilizers?” – Senchenko was indignant.
Soon the press service of the Nikolaev port responded to this message, saying that the goods had been removed and did not pose a danger to people and the city.
“After the tragic explosion in Beirut, there was an assumption in the media that ammonium nitrate, which was imported in 2018, remains on the territory of the Nikolaev seaport. The administration of the Nikolaev seaport refutes this information,” the institution assured.
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