News Climate Thawing permafrost may unleash industrial pollution across the Arctic Climate change threatens to cause toxic substances from thousands of sites to flow free In May 2020, more than 20,000 metric tons of diesel fuel spilled from a destabilized tank facility in northern Siberia, contaminating an area roughly the size of Philadelphia. The spill was blamed partly on the loss of soil stability in thawed permafrost. IRINA YARINSKAYA/AFP via Getty Images Plus Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Nikk Ogasa April 26, 2023 at 8:00 am As the Arctic’s icebound ground warms, it may unleash toxic substances across the region.