OBSERVER - September 11th 2004
Tones of oil could have spilled in the Danube, due to a failure at the hydroelectric plant Portile de Fier I.
The modernization works led to the discovery of some major irregularities at the casting of a machine part installed 30 years ago. This irregularity might have caused an ecological disaster on the Danube. "Each part of the machineries in Portile de Fier I is being stripped and analyzed by the experts in order to be re-modernized. During such an analysis, a major irregularity at one of the parts in the group five has been signaled. We had a Godish luck that a disaster didnât occur so far", stated the Hidroelectrica manager, Traian Oprea.
Translation: SORIN BALAN