Alexandru Munteanu convened a government meeting to examine a proposal to declare an environmental alert on the basin of the Dnister River for a period of 15 days.
“Due to the continuous wave of pollution with petroleum products, the risk of the pollution spreading, and the exceeding of contaminant levels in the northern section of the Dniester River, rapid mobilization of resources is necessary,” the prime minister wrote on Facebook.
Responsible institutions will continue to monitor the situation, intervene in affected areas, inform the population, and provide the necessary recommendations.
Earlier, Gheorghe Hajder stated that the petroleum substance was first observed on the surface of the Dniester River on March 10. Authorities immediately intervened and collected samples to determine the nature of the substance and whether it poses any danger.
During a meeting held the same day, authorities agreed to install containment booms at Yampil – Cosauti to capture and remove the substance and prevent it from moving downstream.
Officials are also assessing similar measures in Rezina to ensure the possible contamination does not spread further.
If the situation persists, authorities may install additional containment devices near Unguri in northern Republic of Moldova, where the Dniester River first enters the country.