An approximately 5-million-gallon diesel fuel spill from a power station storage tank near the Arctic town of Norilsk, Russia, poses a deadly threat to the region's people, plants, and animals. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin, who doesn't have a strong environmental track record, has declared a state of emergency.

Diesel oil, which spilled in the Arctic disaster, is less viscous and harder to contain and recover. Once the oil is in the water, plants and animals will find themselves enveloped in a coat of potent hydrocarbons. Pound-for-pound in the short term, diesel fuel is significantly more lethal than crude oil and can cause longer-lasting damage.