RIGA, Nov 26 (LETA) - The dam of Daugavpils Udens sewage sludge fields collapsed because badgers had dug their setts in it, the company's board member Jelena Lapinska told LETA.

She said that in 1986, in total of 12 sewage sludge fields have been built in Naujene rural territory, where sludge from Daugavpils sewage systems was deposited. In 2007 the company signed an agreement with a producer of biogas and now the sludge is taken to the biogas plant, therefore Krizi sludge field is considered a polluted area.

She also said that badgers liked the territory and had dug their setts in the dam by the field, which caused the dam to collapse. The field is being constantly monitored.

It is difficult to access the collapsed dam because the territory is boggy.

Venteko company will collect the pollution and plans to put the necessary equipment into operation already tomorrow. The nearby rivers will be aerated to reduce the possible damage. The dam will also be repaired.

Lapinska said that this is an ecological disaster, the first of its kind in Daugavpils region or possibly the whole Latvia. She did not comment on the loss the company will sustain from it.

As reported, about 14,000 tons of sewage sludge have leaked into the Liksna River in eastern Latgale region, LETA learned from the State Environment Service (VVD) representative Kristine Klaveniece.

VVD on November 26 received information about a critical situation in Krizi sewage sludge fields in Kasatniku, Naujene rural territory of Augsdaugava municipality. VVD inspectors discovered that after a dam broke down, a large amount of sewage sludge leaked into the river.

Klaveniece said that it has been estimated that about 14,000 cubic meters of sludge have leaked into the environment. Most of the sludge leaked into the nearby boggy forest, still, the pollution has made its way along ditches and the Stropica River into the Liksna River.

The sewage sledge can be used as fertilizer in agriculture, but, such large amounts of sludge leaking into the environment may harm it. VVD will calculate the loss to the environment and Daugavpils Udens will have to compensate it.