Oil Leak Near Dez Dam: What Was the Early Warning? | Officials Offer Conflicting Accounts of a Controversial Case

Reports of an oil leak warning a few kilometers from Dez Dam led to a judicial follow-up in Dezful and drew differing reactions and explanations from environmental officials. The matter is now under review by a joint working group of the Khuzestan Water and Power Organization and the Khuzestan Department of Environment.

Ambassador Arjan's follow-up on the controversial news of the oil spill in Khuzestan reached different accounts of the authorities!

The publication of the warning about the oil spill a few kilometers from the Dez dam, followed the judicial follow-up of this issue in Dezful and the different reactions and explanations of the environmental officials. This issue is currently being investigated by a joint working group from Khuzestan Water and Electricity Organization and Khuzestan Environment.

Ambassador of Arjan - Majid Jabari: The story started on Mehr 13; When a news quoted by Masoud Nooripour, the head of Dezful Environmental Protection Department, was published in several reliable media. In this news, it was mentioned about the continuation of the oil spill problem in the Dezful area, the proximity of the spill site to the Dez dam, and the involvement of the judicial system in the matter. In the news published by the three ambassadors of Arjan, citing Masoud Nouripour, it was stated that after the warnings and correspondences to resolve the problem were unsuccessful, a case was filed in the Sardasht Dezful Prosecutor's Office and the matter is being pursued through judicial authorities. Also, similar cases were pointed out last year on the route of the Shahyoun pipeline to Koi Taleghani, Modares, and Eastern Gaumishabad, and a warning was given about the need to solve the problem before the rains begin.

The publication of this news raised questions about the condition of oil transmission lines in the region and the possibility of threatening water resources. For this reason, Ambassador Arjan followed up the matter with the environmental authorities and related institutions.

Despite the news published by the three ambassadors of Arjan quoted by Masoud Nooripour, the head of the Dezful Environmental Protection Department presented a different version of the story in a conversation with the ambassador of Arjan and said: what was published in the media was the result of a wrong understanding of the contents raised in a meeting.

Masoud Nooripour, referring to a meeting that focused on the preparation of the devices to deal with the possible dangers caused by the upcoming rains, and during which the identification of high-risk points and the implementation of preventive measures were discussed, clarified: In that meeting, a warning was given about the need to secure dangerous points before an accident occurs, and the purpose of this warning was to prevent possible problems. The meeting did not specifically discuss the occurrence of new oil pollution or the spread of pollution to water resources, but the media perception of the words was different from what was said in the meeting. The purpose of raising environmental issues in the meeting was to emphasize the prevention and readiness of the devices to deal with possible risks.

However, our reporter's follow-ups showed that there is a history of oil spills in this area. The Director General of Environmental Protection of Khuzestan, in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, confirmed the fact that the oil spill occurred in the past, but said that this matter was related to the previous months.

Mohammad Javad Ashrafi explained in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan: In July this year, upstream of the Dez Dam and at a distance of about 8 kilometers from the dam lake, a limited leak occurred from one of the facilities related to Masjid Sulaiman Oil and Gas Company. The release of oil was limited, and at the same time, the necessary measures were taken by the oil company to contain and collect the pollution.

Stating that oil absorbent pads were used to prevent the spread of pollution, he clarified: Currently, from this point of view, there is no significant threat to the Dez Dam river or lake. In addition, the mentioned judicial proceedings are also related to the same event in the past. In a conversation with the head of the Dezful Environment Department, the necessary arrangements were made and the assessment of the province's General Environment Department is that in the current situation, there is no new concern about oil pollution entering the water resources of the region.

While the environmental officials of the province and city emphasize the absence of immediate threat to water resources, the follow-up of Ambassador Arjan from the Khuzestan Water and Electricity Organization brought the matter to another stage. In response to Ambassador Arjan's question about the oil spill warning, the public relations manager of Khuzestan Water and Electricity Organization said: A working group consisting of experts from this organization and the environment was formed and sent to the region to investigate the situation in the field.

The next day, Azimifar announced the presence of this investigation team at the site and announced that this group was present at the site and started the necessary investigations, and the results of the expert investigations will be announced after the conclusion.

What has been obtained so far from the follow-up of this issue is the existence of two different accounts of the origin of the news published on 13 Mehr. On the one hand, the initial news tells about the warning about the oil spill and judicial follow-up, and on the other hand, the head of the Dezful Environmental Protection Department says that his words in a specialized meeting focusing on the prevention of environmental hazards have been reflected in a different way.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Environmental Protection of Khuzestan also confirms the occurrence of an oil spill in the past and its legal follow-up, but says that this issue has been managed before and is not considered a threat to the region's water resources.

According to the different narratives of an environmental news, now we have to wait for the results of the field investigations of the joint environmental working group and Khuzestan water and electricity organization. The result of these investigations can provide a more accurate picture of the current situation and dimensions of the story.