The origin of the pollution of the Oder, which flows on the Polish-German border, as well as the pollutant are unknown, the Polish climate minister said on Sunday evening. Dozens of tons of dead fish were fished along the river in Poland and Germany for several days.
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To date, “no analysis has confirmed the presence of toxic substances,” Anna Moskwa said after meeting her German counterpart Steffi Lemke in Szczecin, northwestern Poland. According to Anna Moskva, analyzes of the recovered fish did not confirm mercury or heavy metals. The only anomaly found remains the high oxygen content in the water. “We analyze different possibilities, both the introduction of hazardous substances … and the natural situation”, drought and heat waves.
According to Steffi Lemke, it is now a matter of “reducing the consequences of the disaster” and, if possible, preventing further damage. “We don’t know how long and to what extent this disaster will affect the ecosystem, months, maybe years,” she told reporters. The two ministers assured that the pollution of the Oder had no impact on ground and drinking water on either side of the river. Polish police on Saturday offered a €210,000 reward to help find whoever caused the pollution.
Dead fish float on the surface of the Oder River as the water has been contaminated causing the mass death of fish in the river, in Kostrzyn nad Oder, Poland August 11, 2022. Cezary Aszkielowicz/AGENCJA WYBO/ Portal
The Polish nationalist-populist government has come under fire from both Poland and Germany for not reacting sooner. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki admitted on Saturday that he was briefed on the situation “on August 9 or 10,” while the first signs of pollution were seen on July 26 around the Polish city of Olawa (south-west). . The opposition, local authorities and environmental organizations are demanding the resignation of those responsible, including a deputy minister who called on Thursday to swim in the Oder. The public prosecutor’s office has initiated an investigation.
Flowing first in Poland and then forming a natural border between Poland and Germany, the Oder has been considered relatively clean for many years, is home to around 40 species of fish and attracts many bird and animal species.