Pollution

Citation

(1999), "Pollution", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 8 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.1999.07308aac.003

Pollution

Pollution

28 January 1998 ­ Bayou Lafourche, USA

Following received from US Coast Guard, dated 21 January: On 6 January tug Stone Fueler sank in the vicinity of Bayou Lafourche, La, while pushing a barge. The tug is suspected of rupturing a 12-inch underwater petroleum pipeline which resulted in the release of 743 barrels of crude oil. Heavy oil has been found in the mud flats on the eastern shore of Belle Pass, which is the entrance to Port Fourchon. The salvage of the tug and active clean up of the oil have been completed with a total of 366 barrels of oil recovered. The damaged pipeline has been plugged.

26 January 1998 ­ Lagos, Nigeria

According to information received the oil slick from the leak at Qua Iboe has now drifted to offshore Lagos. It is reported that major oil companies in Nigeria have mobilised vessels and are assisting in attempts to disperse the slick. In addition to local communities along the coast fishing companies based in Lagos are now commencing legal proceedings for compensation.

23 January 1998 ­ Gulf of Mexico

Texas officials say wind and wave action are breaking up a four mile-long oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles south of Galveston and that no oil is expected to reach land. State General Land Office spokesman Bob Mann said today the light crude oil, which spilled from an Amoco pipeline late yesterday, is "evaporating nicely" and that "right now things are looking pretty good". Mann said the spill is four miles long and several hundred yards wide. It was created when about 800 barrels of light crude oil leaked from a ruptured pipeline that feeds oil to an Amoco refinery in Texas City. The leak was located early today offshore, about 50 miles south of Galveston, and crews worked to block off the area. Officials said the ruptured line could have spilled up to 2,500 barrels of oil but was shut down. Mann said although wind and wave action are breaking up the oil, the agency's Oil Spill Response Team plans to apply a dispersant to speed up the process of degradation. He said the oil was not expected to reach land.

29 January 1998 ­ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio Janeiro's beaches lining scenic Guanabara Bay should be safe from any environmental damage following an oil spill this week but the cause of the spill is still unclear, a state official said today. Government environmental workers joined forces with local oil firms to clean up the leak, first noticed late on Tuesday (27 January) and now estimated at up to 15,000 litres (3,900 gallons), of which more than a quarter has been removed. "The leak is not of a great size and there's not a great risk of environmental damage", said Jordan Mamede, an official at Rio state's environmental engineering department. No damage to any beach in the Rio area has been reported ­ Reuters.

22 January 1998 ­ United Arab Emirates

Whitesea Shipping and Supply Company was sitting out rough seas in the Persian Gulf before making a second attempt to raise the barge Pontoon 300, which sank on 6 January, spilling at least 882,000 gallons of Iraqi fuel oil off Sharjah. "We have the bow up, but she's still resting on the stern", Whitesea managing director Seraj Alali reported from the deck of the salvage vessel at 1830, local time, 21 January. "We are continuing to pump air into the aft tanks, hoping she will come up". The barge continued to rise slowly but 2-m seas scuttled the salvage attempt early Jan 22, Alali reports. "We decided to put her down nice and easy rather than run the risk she would break up", he says. Alali believes the barge still holds nearly half her cargo, estimated at 2.9 million to 3.2 million gallons. A spill response vessel from Fairdeal Marine Services stands by under contract to UAE's Federal Environmental Agency, but only a slight sheen has formed around the vessel, 9kms offshore, he says. The barge owner mounted no response to the spill, and remains unknown, says Joe Nichols technical director for the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation.

29 January 1998 ­ Modifications presumably made to expedite smuggling operations have frustrated salvage of the barge Pontoon 300, which caused heavy shoreline oiling of the United Arab Emirates after she sank on 6 January, according to Seraj Alali, managing director for the salvor, Whitesea Shipping and Supply Company. The barge lost at least 882,000 gallons (3,000 tonnes) of Iraqi fuel oil after sinking and may still contain nearly half its cargo, Alali says. If the barge contains substantial oil, it remains a serious pollution threat, according to Joe Nichols, technical director for the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation. Alali, however, promises no further pollution: "We have her hatches sealed, and she will come up in one piece". By 28 January, Whitesea had attempted four times to refloat the barge by blowing compressed air into her, without success, Alali says. Each time, the bow of the barge would rise to the surface, but the vessel became unstable and crews elected to lower her back to the bottom, he says. "We've salved this barge before. Last time we sat on her for 51 days", he reports. Holes cut between the tanks are the culprit, he says, they allow air to shift unpredictably within the barge. Such unsound modifications are typical of barges used for oil smuggling, he says, because they expedite unloading. Barge Karar One (before reported as Karar II), towed safely to harbour and lightered by Whitesea after she began sinking off the UAE on 14 January, and also suspected of smuggling, was completely emptied from just two of her tanks, he says.

19 February 1998 ­ Pontoon 300, the barge that caused extensive pollution in the United Arab Emirates after she sank on 8 January apparently spilled at least 1.7 million gallons of intermediate fuel oil and diesel ­ more than twice as much as previously estimated. By the time salvor White Sea Shipping and Supply of Sharjah successfully refloated the barge on 3 February, most of the oil was gone. According to the IOPC Fund, as much as 29,400 gallons spilled from the barge after White Sea's second unsuccessful salvage attempt. UAE cleanup operations "were hampered by a lack of funds", and ceased on 24 January after the Ministry of Interior announced it had no more money, the IOPC Fund reports. Beaches remain heavily oiled, as does a mangrove swamp at Khawr Umm Al Quwain, but there is no sign of response by individual emirates, according to the IOPC Fund. At the direction of Sharjah officials, White Sea crews emptied the Pontoon 300, rinsed her with dispersant and scuttled her in a graveyard for old vessels 33km offshore.

29 January 1998 ­ Arlington, Massachusetts, USA

Near Ulsan more than 600 people from fishing villages were employed between 15 and 27 January to clean substantial shoreline oiling from the sunken mv New Baron, according to Joe Nichols, technical director for the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation. Bunker C fuel from the vessel spread for 10km, according to the Oil Spill Protecting Company (OSPC) of Inchon. Sea mustard farms, fish hatcheries, and some restaurants that keep live fish report damage to facilities or stocks, Nichols says. Crews deployed deflection boom around the water intake to the Kori Nuclear Power Station, he says. New Baron sank during a storm on 15 January. As many as 17 of her 20 crew members are missing and presumed dead. Violent seas broke open the vessel's fuel tanks and precluded oil combating efforts for the first three days, according to OSPC. Wind-blown oil from the vessel stained some coastal buildings, Nichols says. OSPC crews eventually surrounded the vessel with 800m of Kepner Plastics High Sea containment boom, and mopped up oil with a brush skimmer and absorbents. The company says it had 12 vessels and 300 people responding to the incident on 24 January. At latest report, crews were using screw pumps to transfer oil from the tanks. "We estimate that she still has more than 300 tonnes of bunker C oil in her tanks. She has three oil tanks: No. 1 was fully destroyed, while No. 2 and No. 3 are broken", the company says. Beach cleaning was substantially complete in time for the Lunar New Year which began 27 January, Nichols says.

4 February 1998 ­ Portland, Maine, USA

The Coast Guard says crews have contained at least 90 per cent of the 14,000 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled from barge R.T.C.No.503 into Portland, Maine, Harbour. The Coast Guard and commercial contractors Clean Harbors and Clean Casco Bay over the No. 2 oil. The spill occurred about 03:00 today from the barge, R.T.C.No.503, which was tied up at the Star terminal on the Fore River. The Coast Guard said crews double-boomed around the spill to keep the fuel from spreading. Officials closed the Casco Bay Bridge to river traffic because of the incident. The Coast Guard said crew members on board the barge are undergoing alcohol testing. The owner of the barge was not immediately known. The cause of the spill is under investigation.

Approximately 680 barrels of fuel oil spilled into Fore river. Spill from barge is apparently contained via pollution booms, with response effort in place.

5 February 1998 ­ Clean-up crews recovered about 500 gallons of No. 2 fuel oil from inside containment booms that spilled from barge R.T.C.No.503. According to US Coast Guard, 13,000 gallons is still missing, however, not in Portland harbour and is suspected to have leaked during transit from New York City. Divers surveyed hull and discovered a 100ft scrape and a six-inch crack along barge's hull. Crack in barge patched pm, 4 February. A follow-up complete dive survey will be conducted to determine hull integrity. Coast Guard are currently interviewing crew of barge to determine when barge was damaged. A safety zone has been established in vicinity of Star Enterprise Terminal in south Portland, Maine, and Fore River/Casco Bay Bridge are open to vessel traffic.

9 February 1998 ­ Bogota, Colombia

Leftist rebels dynamited Colombia's Cano Limon pipeline for the seventh time this year, paralysing all pumping operations and spilling at least 15,000 barrels of crude, state oil company Ecopetrol said today. The attack took place near the town of Villanueva in north-east Norte de Santander province, 287 miles west of the Cano Limon field operated by US multinational Occidental Petroleum Corp. "The pipeline was blown up Sunday morning but because of the bad weather engineers cannot get in to begin repairs", an Ecopetrol spokesman said. "The spill is estimated at 15,000 barrels of crude which flowed into the El Carmen river and a nearby swamp causing an ecological disaster", he added. Occidental was unable to say immediately whether it had been forced to scale back production in the Cano Limon field from the 170,000 barrels per day average as a result of the attack. The pipeline blast was blamed on the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Cuban-inspired force set up in the mid-1960s which specialises in targeting Colombia's oil infrastructure.

12 February 1998 ­ London, UK

Environmental damage from the m tanker Sea Empress (since renamed Front Spirit) oil spill was not as severe as it might have been because of the time of year at which the accident took place, the Sea Empress Evaluation Committee final report found yesterday. Committee chairman Ron Edwards said the timing of the accident, the northerly winds blowing the oil offshore, the fact that the cargo was a light crude oil and the effective clean-up operation had combined to reduce environmental damage when 72,000 tonnes of oil was spilled from Sea Empress off Milford Haven in February 1996. Recommendations include improving monitoring wildlife and arrangements for collecting, cleaning and releasing oiled birds, national contingency plan revisions to deal with such incidents and for a statutory duty on maritime local authorities to prepare local contingency plans. The report also called for a national lead agency to react immediately to assess environmental impact when an oil spill occurs. It says funding for environmental impact studies should come from the International Oil Spill Pollution Compensation Fund and not the public purse.

12 February 1998 ­ Quebec, Canada

Oil spill response crews can expect to spend more than two months clearing up 6,000 gallons (20 tonnes) of heavy fuel oil that leaked from m tanker Saraband into the ice-choked harbour of Port Alfred, Quebec, on 1 February, according to a Canadian Coast Guard official. "Ninety per cent of the oil will be stuck in the ice until it melts", says Real Savard, Laurentian Region contingency planner for CCG emergency response. The slick has been concentrated in the harbour, but during spring thaw, usually in late March, the freed oil could spread over the shoreline of the Saguenay River, Savard says. In the meantime, strong currents in the harbour make containing the oil impossible, he adds. Protec, the spill contractor hired by the shipowner, is hauling out oiled ice with a clamshell crane under CCG and Environment Canada supervision, he says, but the effort is having limited effect. "The only thing we can do is wait for spring, and see where the shoreline is spoiled", Savard says. Crews will have to mop up any oil that appears on the water, he adds. "It's probably a permanent operation until spring", he says. International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) technical advisor Richard Santner was en route to Port Alfred on 5 February, according to ITOPF. The cause of the spill is under investigation, Savard says. Saraband began unloading cargo on 1 February at Alcan terminal, Port Alfred, he says. As the vessel emptied, staff at the Alcan terminal discovered a hole that had been under the water line and was leaking oil, Savard says. By 5 February, crews had patched the hole and CCG authorised the vessel to sail for St John, NB, he says.

19 February 1998 ­ Cape Town, South Africa

M chemical tanker Conquestventure L. (18,812 gt, built 1980) made contact with Whale Rock, off Robben Island in Table Bay, at approximately 1000, 18 February. Underwater inspection has indicated that five cargo tanks containing caustic soda are affected and understand a considerable amount of cargo has been lost into the sea.

19 February 1998 ­ Following received from the operators of m chemical tanker Conquestventure L., dated Piraeus today: Conquestventure L., Corpus Christi for Australia, made contact with Whale Rock, while proceeding to Cape Town for bunkers. As a result vessel sustained three ruptures in her forward section bottom. Two of the ruptures were in loaded tanks, which were loaded with caustic soda solution. There was no pollution. The vessel is still in Table Bay where temporary repairs are now being carried out to enable her to continue her voyage. (Note: Conquestventure L. sailed Corpus Christi 24 January.)

20 February 1998 ­ M chemical tanker Conquestventure L. touched bottom in Cape Town's Table Bay, damaging a number of her tanks and leaking caustic soda. According to Captain Bill Dernier of the South African Department of Transport, some of the cargo from the vessel had spilt, but the situation was now "stable". Pentow Marine had one of its pollution clean-up vessels, K-5, standing by to assist if necessary. Dernier added that divers had inspected the vessel and initial reports had said that the vessel "had a couple of holes in her". Pentow Marine said the possibility of dry-docking the vessel was being investigated, which would require a vessel-to-vessel transfer of her cargo. At the time of the incident, weather conditions were windy. During the survey operations, the weather was fine with a calm, flat sea.

20 February 1998 ­ Following received from Pentow Marine, timed 1510, UTC: M chemical tanker Conquestventure L.: Our pollution clean-up vessel K-5 is no longer on scene but has now returned to her station. Understand the tanker is still leaking some caustic soda but is in stable condition. She is to be shifted to deeper waters and, once the situation becomes completely satisfactory, she will be allowed to enter port.

19 February 1998 ­ Nova Scotia, Canada

M container vessel Brandenburg (18,353 gt, built 1987) stands accused of deliberately polluting Canadian waters, with possible fines of over C$1 million. The vessel has been charged with nine separate offences under the Migratory Bird Convention Act, Canadian Environment Protection Act, Canada Shipping Act and Fisheries Act. Sources at Environment Canada, a government environmental agency, claim that nine vessels have been caught deliberately discharging oil into Canadian waters in the last four months alone. Representatives of Atlantic Container Line briefly appeared in court on 30 January, on pollution charges relating to m ro-ro/container vessel Atlantic Cartier. The hearing was postponed until 21 April. Charges were laid against Brandenburg following a multi-agency investigation and search of the vessel at Montreal on 12 and 13 February. An Environment Canada official said that on 8 February, a Canadian Coast Guard anti-pollution patrol aircraft identified a vessel discharging oil. This occurred about 60 nautical miles south of an ecological reserve at Cape St Mary and resulted in an oil slick approximately 11km long by about 100 metres wide. "The area affected by this oil slick is populated by thousands of seabirds and any birds which made contact with this oil would likely die owing to the harsh climate", said an Environment Canada official.

20 February 1998 ­ Sognefjord, Norway

A press report dated Toronto 19 February states: About 40,000 litres of oil leaked into the Statoil's Gullfaks field, west of the Sognefjord, around midnight on Tuesday, 17 February. The spill was controlled after about an hour, after experts and investigators were sent to the area by helicopter. The cause of the leak appears to be a loose safety valve, according to Statoil director Hans-Aasmund Frisak. The valve released both oil and gas, and the alarm sounded when the gas indicators went off at several locations on the rig. All safety systems worked correctly and production was halted automatically. None of the 200 employees on board the rig were evacuated. Statoil resumed operations later the same day.

23 February 1998 ­ Singapore

A report from Singapore today, states: The clean-up bill for last year's oil spill, when s tanker Orapin Global collided with m tanker Evoikos on 15 October, is expected to total less than $28 million, far below initial industry estimates of over $100 million. Although the final bill has not been disclosed, the costs of chemicals used to disperse the oil spill alone came to $650,000, according to the supplier, Cramoil. The clean-up involved a total of 650 men and 80 boats working 16-hour days for three weeks. Last month in Parliament, Workers' Party MP for Hougang, Mr Low Thia Khiang, asked the Communications Minister about the costs of the clean-up, and whether all claims could be covered. In a written reply, it was stated that fast action by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and other agencies averted an environmental and ecological disaster. "Crucial facilities such as power stations and oil refineries functioned normally and the beaches at Sentosa and the East Coast were unaffected", it was added. As a result, the claims will basically be for the clean-up costs, estimated to be within the $28 million limit which Singapore can claim under the Civil Liability Convention 1969 covering oil spills. "We are confident that the claims will be met in full", said the statement. One component of the costs will be for the chemicals used to break up the oil. Mr Tan Kim Seng, managing director of Cramoil Singapore, suppliers of the dispersant, said that about 2,000 drums, or 400,000 litres, were used to fight the spill. He added: "It was the biggest ever contract for us with MPA. We had workers on three shifts, working round the clock for six days to meet the order".

26 February 1998 ­ Catano, Puerto Rico

Spill responders Induchem and Crowley Environmental Services have recovered 10,000 gallons of jet fuel from a pipeline leak discovered 22 February at the Caribbean Gulf Refinery, Catano, Puerto Rico, according to the US Coast Guard. The fuel bubbled up through the soil in a creek bed, and some of it reached San Juan Harbour, where crews contained it within booms and recovered it with a weir skimmer and absorbents, says David McClintock of the USCG Marine Safety Office in San Juan. They also sealed the creek entrance with a containment boom. Most of the recovered oil came from the creek or collection pits dug around the broken pipeline, he says. By 25 February, refinery officials had submitted a plan to clean contaminated soil.

27 February 1998 ­ Guayaquil, Ecuador

At approximately 23:00 hrs, 26 February, the pipeline that transfers crude oil from the west side of the country to the refinery located at port of Esmeraldas, sustained serious damages, which caused a spill of approximately 20,000 barrels of crude oil. An explosion also occurred, causing a fire that affected several neighbourhoods located around the refinery. As a result of this, 150 people were injured and seven dead. The fire was controlled during this morning's early hours. Apparently part of the refinery was also affected by the explosion. The transfer of crude oil was stopped last night and, according to the authorities, the operation will be re-started tonight.

27 February 1998 ­ A furious blaze in Ecuador's largest oil pipeline, early today, killed seven people, left 30 missing and paralysed the flow of crude, officials said. The oil spilled from the pipeline in flames and washed down the Tiaone River, which is bordered by various communities, Col. Napoleon Villa of the Esmeraldas city police department said. Six of the victims died when they tried to swim across the river but were engulfed in the stream of burning oil, civil defense authorities reported. Witnesses reported the stream of flames washed about two miles down the Tiaone, passing several villages, and was only extinguished when it poured into the Pacific Ocean. At least 35 people were left with second or third degree burns, and another 40 had non-critical injuries. Aid workers have not covered all the areas yet, said Daniel Arteaga, national director of the Red Cross. There are some 600 evacuees and many burned houses. Rescue crews will search for more than 30 children reported missing by their parents, he said. Energy and Mines Minister Alvaro Bermeo said the rupture in the TransEcuadorean pipe was caused by a mudslide, but that economic damage was minor. Only about 8,000 barrels of crude oil were expected to be lost to the spill and the pipeline was due to be pumping again by 17:00 or 18:00, EST. The fire broke out at midnight EST, when the pipeline burst just over a mile from the country's major oil refinery in Esmeraldas police and witnesses said. An Esmeraldas refinery technician said the plant's installations had not been affected. The refinery situation is normal, he said.

9 March 1998 ­ Singapore

An oil slick hit the beaches of Sembawang Park morning of 4 March. The thick black oil had surfaced as large greasy patches. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is investigating what happened. The Environment Ministry, ENV, said it received an alert from the MPA Operations Room at 1000, 4 March, that there was an oil slick at the beach. The ministry said its investigations revealed that the oil came from m bulk carrier Rio Coari, 29,743 gt, built 1987, which was docked at the shipyard. It has affected about 200 m of the beach. The beach was deserted yesterday except for the seven workers cleaning up the slick. Workers said it would take a couple more days to make the beaches pristine again. The ENV said that the situation was under control. (Note: At 07:45, 4 March Rio Coari was at Sembawang Shipyard Berth 17 where she arrived 6 February.)

16 March 1998 ­ Venezuela

Konstantinos Spiropoulos, master of m tanker Nissos Amorgos, has been charged formally under the Venezuela criminal code for causing pollution by spillage or leakage of oil, more than a year after he was taken into custody. No specific allegations of negligence were made against him at the pre-trial hearing but the decision to formally charge him of contravening environmental laws leaves him open, if convicted, to a $25,000 fine and up to three years in prison. Capt Spiropoulos' lawyers submitted an urgent application for him to return to Greece pending further progress in the case which is likely to be protracted. The request was based on humanitarian grounds, stating that he needed to be at home to deal with serious family health problems and be in a position to support his wife. Capt Spiropoulos had been allowed to return to Greece for short periods and returned to Venezuela in line with court requirements. The case is now being heard in front of judge Alide Estrada. Original judge Ricardo Colmenares has been quoted as saying delays in dealing with the case resulted from conflicts between Venezuelan legislation relating to oil pollution incidents and rules laid down in international treaties to which Venezuela is signatory. Capt Spiropoulos was arrested after the Nissos Amorgos went aground in Venezuela's Maracaibo channel in February 1997, spilling 4,000 tonnes of heavy crude oil.

19 March 1998 ­ Tacoma, USA

US Oil and Refining reported a pre-dawn spill of 55,000 gallons of diesel fuel and bunker oil, apparently contained within its Tacoma, Washington, marine terminal on 16 March. A crew member had left open a crossover valve during blending, causing bunker fuel to flow back into a diesel tank and overtop it, says US Oil's administration services manager. A containment dike prevented oil from reaching adjacent Blair Waterway, and plant operators "did a prompt and effective clean up". US Oil crews vacuumed up the spilled oil, then flooded the remaining pools with water and vacuumed up the oil and water. The Washington Department of Ecology remains concerned that oil may have sunk into the sandy site and contaminated the area's groundwater.

27 March 1998 ­ Havana, Cuba

A collision between two foreign-registered oil tankers on Cuba's northern coast has spilled heavy crude oil into a bay, soiling the coastline and damaging the environment, Cuban authorities said today. The Fishing Industry Ministry said the spill occurred after a collision yesterday in Matanzas Bay between the Panamanian-registered tanker Shavadar (? m tanker Shauadar, 14,375 gt, built 1973) and m tanker El Bravo (6,501 gt, built 1971). Matanzas Bay is 20 miles from the beach resort of Varadero. But there was no report of any damage to Varadero beaches. "There is no sign of anything here", a security guard at the Paradiso-Puntarena Hotel complex in Varadero told Reuters by telephone. The prevailing winds yesterday and today had been blowing strongly from east to west, away from Varadero. Cuban state TV footage showed a gaping hole in the hull of the El Bravo caused by the collision. Heavy Cuban crude oil spilled into the waters of Matanzas Bay, affecting "coastal areas and the ecosystem of the surrounding area", the Fishing Ministry added in a statement without giving details of the extent of the spill or damage. Cuban TV footage obtained by Reuters showed bulldozers shovelling away a thick, black slurry of crude oil, mixed with sand, on the Matanzas Bay coast. A floating boom had also been erected in the sea in an apparent attempt to contain the spill. A special commission has been set up to investigate the causes of the accident, the official statement added. It was not immediately clear whether the oil spill was confined to Matanzas Bay or whether any of the oil had drifted out to sea.

1 April 1998 ­ M tanker El Bravo anchored in Matanzas inner harbour at 1200, local time, 24 March. At 1122, local time, 26 March, collision with m tanker Shauadar occurred. Through the hole in the El Bravo an estimated spillage of "523,294 MT" occurred. El Bravo remains at Matanzas. She is in need of repair, but where she will go is unknown. Shauadar sailed for Nuevitas. There is a ministerial commission investigating the accident

30 March 1998 ­ Karachi, Pakistan

A local Press report, dated 28 March, states: Supply of diesel and other petroleum products to the interior, was suspended on morning of 27 March, after 22,000 tonnes of molasses spilled from a 108ft diameter tanker in the oil installations area at Keamari. The cost to Molasses Export Company is estimated at Rs40 million. The plates of the 20-year-old tank gave way and the molasses flooded about two kilometres area around the tanks. Supplies from the tanks remain suspended until the area was cleaned up by the owners and Karachi Port Trust. Presently it was impossible for any vehicle or person to traverse the area. According to experts, the plates of the tank had weakened over a period of time and could not withstand the pressure of gasses produced by boiling the molasses. The owners have called the KPT and KMC fire brigades to clean the area so that normal supplies of diesel and petroleum products to Sindh and Balochistan could be resumed. Arrival of oil tankers, bringing molasses from the sugar mills in the interior has also been suspended until the area is cleaned up.

30 March 1998 ­ A local Press report, dated 29 March, states: Partial supply of diesel and other petroleum products resumed from the oil installations at Keamari on 28 March, after the molasses, leaked from a storage tank, receded in some sections of the area. According to the tank's owners, it will take a couple of days to start full supply. Karachi Port Trust refused to take responsibility of cleaning the area, but KMC staff carried out cleaning operations by throwing water on the molasses to dilute the substance. Other tank owners have engaged engineering firms to check the strength of their tanks.

3 April 1998 ­ A local Press report, dated today, states: While 15 oil terminals are still paralysed owing to the spillage of 22,000 tonnes of molasses in the Keamari Oil Installation Area about a week ago, the terminal managers and Karachi Port Trust are disagreeing over the issue of who is responsible for cleaning up the molasses, which have hardened like a rock, making a two-km area impassable. According to KPT sources, the terminal owners should clean the area but they are unwilling to pay the cost and are looking to the port authorities to clean the area. The terminal owners say they are ready to carry out the clean-up operation but do not have the resources, such as the KPT Fire Service, to undertake the task. The terminal owners contend that, apart from the initial days of the spillage when the KMC Fire Brigade sprayed the boiling molasses with water in order to dilute it, no civic agency has come forward to restore the terminals to operation. They pointed out that they were ready to clean their premises but were unable to take the responsibility for cleaning the entire area, which could only be done by a civic agency with the necessary resources. The owners maintained that they were already experiencing huge losses due to the closure of the terminals and were ready to co-operate with any civic agency to undertake the task. The area is also without electricity, as molasses has penetrated the local CASK sub-station. The 15 terminals rendered inoperable by the spillage include three petroleum tanks and 12 tanks storing edible oil and molasses.

1 April 1998 ­ West Coast of Scotland, UK

Bergensen-operated m LPG carrier Havrim (26,207 gt, built 1980) has been fined £5,000 plus £15,000 costs following an oil discharge off the west coast of Scotland. The discharge from the vessel was spotted by a Royal Air Force Nimrod on 24 March on a training mission over the Flannan Islands. The crew photographed the slick, estimated to be seven miles long and reported it to Stornaway Coastguard. The slick is understood to have dispersed naturally. Marine Safety Agency surveyors boarded Havrim on Monday (30 March) when she berthed in Pembroke. She was detained, with the owner putting up a surety of £255,000 and an emergency court hearing was scheduled at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court in Pembrokeshire. Marine Pollution Control Unit director Robin Gainsford expressed satisfaction with the fine which is the second prosecution for a Marpol offence in the past month. John H Whitaker Tankers was fined a total of £40,000 following two oil spills off the Kent coast in December last year. The maximum fine for an illegal discharge is £250,000. Mr Gainsford said: "The magistrates took account of the high degree of co-operation from the owner, the fact that the discharge was accidental and the high level of costs". Bergesen declined to comment in advance of receiving a report from a manager sent to the UK to investigate the incident.

1 April 1998 ­ Delta State, Nigeria

Local Press reports, dated today state: An estimated 20,000 barrels of crude oil was spilled from a burst underwater Shell pipeline, conveying crude oil from Shell's Odidi Jones creek and Eswa flow stations to the onshore Forcados Terminal. The spill is threatening normal and aquatic life in the neighbouring villages of Okpemu and Okerenko, in the Warri area of Delta State. The accident occurred about six days ago. Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd said they have boomed off the area, to contain the oil, which is now being recovered into barges. Further cleanup operations will follow.

31 March 1998 ­ Royal Dutch/Shell's Nigerian oil-producing unit yesterday said 30,000 barrels a day of crude will remain shut in until a spill at its Jones Creek field is cleaned up. "Getting the oil to flow again is secondary. What is most important to us is to clean up the spill", a Shell spokesman said. He said shutting in the oil had no adverse effect on Shell's Nigerian production. The spill, which had affected four villages, has been contained as much as possible, the spokesman said. He added that he was unaware a total of nine villages were affected, as local newspapers reported yesterday.