Environmentalists consider vacationing in Anapa to be only relatively safe.

It's too early to talk about the full suitability of Anapa's beaches for tourists, as the sunken parts of the fuel oil tankers have not yet been raised, and residual pollution remains on the sand. Filling the beaches with imported sand is only a temporary measure. However, for economic reasons, authorities have set a goal of opening the beaches this year, according to environmentalists.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," the Russian Deputy Prime Minister stated that work to fill the beaches with new sand should be completed by the start of the beach season. According to him, if the work goes according to plan, the beaches will be open by June 1.

Pebble beaches are only "relatively safe"

Ecologist and expert on specially protected natural areas Igor Shkradyuk believes that the decision to remove pebble beaches from the emergency zone is generally justified, but with caveats.

According to him, pollution levels in the pebble areas were indeed lower. While sandy beaches from the Kerch Strait to the port of Anapa were covered in a continuous layer of fuel oil in December 2024, only isolated spots fell on pebble shores.

"Pebble beaches can be considered relatively safe," he noted, explaining that the fuel oil mostly settled on the surface of the rocks, while in sandy areas it penetrated deeper.

However, the consequences of the contamination differ fundamentally.

"On sandy beaches, the fuel oil either mixed with the sand or ended up buried under a layer of up to 70 centimeters, while on pebble beaches, it remained on the surface of the rocks or between them, which facilitates visual inspection but does not exclude residual contamination," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

As Shkradyuk noted, cleaning technologies for pebble and sandy beaches are significantly different. They differ.

After collecting the fuel oil, the sand was sifted through special "easel" meshes, but even repeated processing failed to completely remove the contaminants:

"New fuel oil crumbs are still emerging from under the sand," he noted.

According to him, other methods were used for pebble beaches—from mechanical cleaning to washing in concrete mixers with sorbents and subsequent treatment with a hot water jet. The expert calls the widespread belief that fuel oil is washed out of pebbles more quickly a "misconception."

"It doesn't wash out, but rather gradually decomposes under the influence of the sun and microorganisms, a process that can take up to four years," he noted.

The risk of recontamination of beaches remains

The ecologist sees no direct contradiction between lifting the state of emergency on some beaches and the ongoing work to pump fuel oil out of sunken tankers—provided there are no new leaks.

However, he emphasizes that the risk of recontamination remains.

"If a leak occurs while the tanker is being lifted, the fuel oil will spill back onto the shore."

Furthermore, the condition of the beaches is unstable: even a clean area today can become contaminated the next day due to waves carrying fuel oil and algae.

The main risks: contact of fuel oil with skin, especially for children; residual contamination in the water and on the seabed.

According to Shkradyuk, the main risk for vacationers is currently not related to swimming per se, but to contact with fuel oil particles.

"Sandy beaches pose the greatest danger: sticky, wet particles remain deep in the sand and are difficult to notice. The main risks: contact of fuel oil with skin, especially for children; residual contamination in the water and on the seabed; "Previously, it was vapor inhalation, which was relevant in the first months after the spill," he noted.

The expert emphasizes that vacationing in Anapa can be considered "relatively safe," but not completely risk-free.

Sanding: A Temporary Measure Until the First Storm

The practice of filling contaminated beaches with new sand raises specific questions. According to Shkradyuk, such a layer can indeed temporarily isolate the pollution, however: contaminated soil still remains in the water; During the first strong storm, the layers will mix.

"On the shore—before the storm. In the water, people will still be walking on sand with fuel oil," he noted.

The ecologist also draws attention to the requirements for sand: it must be clean, not clayey, and meet sanitary standards. Clay impurities can worsen water quality and create additional inconveniences.

Current regulations allow petroleum product levels of up to 1 g/kg, while after the accident, there were demands to clean beaches to a level of 5 mg/kg—which, according to Shkradyuk, is technically difficult to verify.

The economic factor was the driver for opening the beaches.

Anton Doguev, an ecologist and coordinator of the scientific and technological group "RussiaFromAtoYa" of the federal volunteer detachment, attributes the situation to economic factors.

"Whether the season will continue is a decision at the very top," he noted, adding that the loss of another tourist season could have critical consequences for the region.

There is no visible integrated approach to the solutions.

At the same time, he points out the lack of a systematic scientific approach.

"There's no sign of a comprehensive approach to the solutions; it feels like they're changing almost daily," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to him, the effectiveness of beach fill largely depends on the quality and composition of the sand, as well as compliance with the technology. In particular, he believes it's important to use a sand-shell mixture to prevent blowing.

The ecologist also warns of possible long-term consequences.

"What will happen after the 2026-2027 storm season is completely unclear," he pointed out.

The impact of the work on dune systems and the coastline is of particular concern: solving one problem could trigger new ones, the ecologist added.

On December 15, 2024, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait. As a result, a crew member of one of the tankers died. In addition, an oil spill occurred, leading to catastrophic environmental consequences, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Fuel Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait".

Materials on the consequences of the fuel oil spill have been collected by the Caucasian Knot on the page "Eco-disaster in Kuban".