In a press release, SIA ““Ventspils nafta” terminals” (VNT) explicitly denied it was the cause of the repulsive reek and said municipal-controlled media outlets were trying to blacken its name.
"In in reference to the information published on the official municipal webpage www.ventspils.lv and www.ventasbalss.lv on 2 December 2016 regarding stenches related to oil products in the city of Ventspils, VNT implicitly rejects its connection with the stenches and points out that in the respective period – 1 December 2016 – several port operators were performing cargo operations at the port of Ventspils."
"After having received complaints from Ventspils Regional Environmental Board, VNT responded by adjusting its operations and started an investigation according to its standard procedure – reduced the loading speed, inspected and monitored the actual situation in the city. VNT specialists examined the areas of complaints in person and objectively concluded that the identified stenches are not related to the operation of VNT."
"As the complaints were filed by an inspector of the environmental authorities residing in Tukums, VNT questions whether the actual situation and source of the stenches was verified.
"Therefore, the company invites media and related institutions to refrain from assumptions and base their conclusions on legitimate and verified data, especially in case of obvious parallel operations in the port," the statement said.
It is no secret that there are serious tensions between VNT and the municipal authorities, the most obvious recent example being a battle by VNT to install new environmental equipment which it said were being obstructed by the council.
VNT is the largest crude oil and petroleum products transhipment company in the Baltic States with a total tank capacity of 1.2 million cubic meters.
