MOSCOW, June 10 (RAPSI) – Investigators have arrested the CEO, the superintendent and his deputy of the thermal plant in the case over the collapse of a diesel fuel tank resulted in the fuel spillage into a stream and river Ambarnaya in Russia’s northern town Norilsk, according to the press service of Russia’s Investigative Committee.

The charges are to be brought and the measure of restraint to be chosen soon, the statement reads.

The arrested men are suspected of violating the ecological regulations governing the operations of industrial facilities by persons responsible for the observance thereof if it causes a disaster.

In the course of the investigation it was established that the structural components of the collapsed tank had needed capital repairs since 2018. Nevertheless, in November 2018 the tank was put into operation by a commission headed by superintendent of the thermal plant Alexey Stepanov notwithstanding the lack of a required industrial safety certificate; its decision was approved by the enterprise CEO Pavel Smirnov.

According to case papers, on May 29, over 20 tons of petrochemicals spread over the thermal power station and flew into the subsoil and waters near the Nadezhinsky iron and steel plant that resulted in the environment pollution and harm.

Three cases opened after the thermal power plant disaster were consolidated into a single case and forwarded to the Investigative Committee’s Main Investigations Directorate for the investigation. Investigators are checking the incident for the ground spoiling, environmental offence and water pollution.

On June 4, the Krasnoyarsk Krai Court placed a chief of the boiler-and-turbine floor of the heat and power plant in detention until July 31.