Environmentalists: 2 tonnes of oil had spilled into Baltic Sea in February

The Environmental Protection Department (AAD) has concluded that nearly 2 tonnes of oil had spilled into the Baltic Sea from the Būtingė oil terminal in February and damage to the environment exceeded EUR 146 thousand.

Following the spillage, the AAD conducted an unplanned inspection of AB Orlen Lietuva and found that 1.98 tonnes of pollutants had entered the sea.

The department addressed prosecutors with a request to launch a pre-trial investigation into environmental damage.

As reported, the oil spill from Būtingė oil terminal operated by AB Orlen Lietuva occurred on 7 February 2024. Initially it was thought that 300 litres of oil entered the sea. The oil slick that was 9 km long and 2 km wide and from this it was determined that the actual amount of pollutants was nearly 2 tonnes.

The efforts to eliminate pollution were coordinated by the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of the Lithuanian Navy.