Pollution

Disaster Prevention and Management

ISSN: 0965-3562

Article publication date: 1 March 2002

247

Citation

(2002), "Pollution", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 11 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2002.07311aac.002

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited


Pollution

Pollution

1 June 2001 – Jose Fuchs (Panama)

Understand m tanker Jose Fuchs (32,157gt, built 1982) touched bottom in lat. 4521, 7S, long. 73 40.6W, at 21.30, local time, 25 May. As a result some cargo tanks sustained damage and the vessel leaked up to 300 tons of Argentine crude oil. The vessel proceeded in a northerly direction and anchored approximately 70 miles away from the casualty position. The vessel is still at anchor and will be escorted to its final destination by a tug. (Note –Jose Fuchs sailed Rio Grande, Brazil, 13 May for Puerto Montt.)

5 June 2001 – At approximately 21.30, 25 May, m tanker Jose Fuchs, Caleta Oliva, Argentina, to San Vicente, Chile, with a cargo of 51 million litres of crude, ran aground in the area of Moraleda Channel, at the north of Aysen Region. In spite of the damages to the hull of the vessel, which resulted in a leakage of crude, the vessel continued on its passage. At approximately 02.00, she reported the emergency to the maritime authorities, who gave instructions for her to stop and anchor at Ballena Port, a small bay located in the north mouth of Moraleda Channel, near Melinka Island in the Guaitecas Archipelago. The owner informed that about 350,000L of crude were spilled in an extensive area of channels.

7 June 2001 – M tanker Jose Fuchs that ran aground in a remote southern Chilean fjord in late May spilled 92,600 gallons of crude, leaving an oilslick 70 miles long and damaging wildlife and a salmon farm, the Chilean Navy said today. Maritime authorities initially dismissed the incident, which occurred 25 May, saying the leak had been negligible and had caused no damage to the environment. But the Navy yesterday admitted the spill was worse than first announced. "There is a slick measuring 70 miles", Commander Bernard Johnson, a spokesman for the naval district in the southern area of Chile, said. "Some birds have been found that had to be cleaned up and returned to their habitat." Jose Fuchs was carrying 13.5 million gallons of crude from Argentina to the San Vicente, Chile, when the accident happened. The vessel, which was damaged in the hull, later anchored in a small bay. Storms ravaging the zone after the spill broke the slick up into several patches, Johnson said. Torrential rain and choppy waters in the isolated area, renowned for its intricate inlets and fjords, have also hindered the clean-up effort by local experts hired by the vessel's owners Ultramar, he said. Ultramar has not disclosed how much the clean-up will cost. The full extent of the damage to fish and birds is not yet known but Johnson said the slick had reached the pens of one of the numerous salmon farms that provide the main commercial activity in the region. It was not yet clear whether the affected salmon farm and local fisheries would file suits against Ultramar. Company officials were not available to confirm the information. The state environmental agency (Conama), fishing industry regulators and ecologists are all investigating the impact on the environment but say it is too early to draw conclusions. "The area is so inaccessible, especially with this bad weather we're having, that nobody really knows how bad it is", said Mauricio Fierro, an environmental consultant and resident of nearby city of Puerto Montt.

25 June 2001 – Following received from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited, dated today: On the evening of 25 May m tanker Jose Fuchs, Caleta Olivia, Argentina for San Vicente, Chile, touched bottom while sailing through the Canal Moraleda, spilling a quantity of her cargo of Canado Seco crude oil. The vessel continued north for some 72 nautical miles before anchoring at the safe haven of Porto Ballena. Further leakage occurred at this point before being stemmed. Following soundings and discharge of cargo, the Chilean authorities have estimated that 157 tonnes were lost in total. The spill occurred in a remote area of southern Chile, with a complex coastline formed by fjords, channels and islands. This area has a low density population but supports important salmon farming production and local fishing grounds. Rough weather conditions immediately following the incident initially hampered efforts to survey the extent of contamination and subsequent clean-up operations. Though limited oil was apparent at a number of sites, the main areas affected by the spill were the broken rock/cobble beaches at Punto Arnericano and Punto Ballena, which experienced moderate oiling. Some fringing grasses and large amounts of stranded seaweed thrown up by the storms were also oiled. No impact on the local fisheries is expected, and only one fish farm was lightly affected where clean-up work is underway. For the most part the clean-up undertaken has been manual, with oil being scooped into buckets and then into plastic drums for removal. Non-aggressive clean-up in the form of cold water flushing is now also been undertaken. Drums of collected oily waste have been taken to a temporary storage site at Chacabuco.

4 June 2001 – Ievoli Sun (Italy)

The operation to recover chemicals and fuel oil from the sunken m chemical tanker Ievoli Sun was completed successfully in the English Channel last Friday (1 June) afternoon by Smit Tak BY. The last of four tanks containing bunker oil was emptied. ending a final ten-day phase of pumping, rendered difficult by strong currents and the hulls damaged state. A French Government representative said that the hull had been crushed in part, making it difficult for the salvors to place the valves necessary for pumping. Following the completion of pumping operations, m semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Smit Pioneer supervised a final underwater inspection of the wreck before leaving the site for Rotterdam on Friday night. The main part of the operation, the recovery of the 3,012m3 of styrene still in the ship's tanks after the sinking, was completed two weeks ago. Other chemicals 1,263m3 of isopropanol and 1,253m3 of ethyl methyl ketone and diesel oil, which were not considered a pollution threat, were released into the sea in controlled conditions in early May. In the final phase of pumping, an estimated 88m3 of fuel oil was recovered. (Note – Smit Pioneer subsequently arrived Rotterdam 3 June.)

6 June 2001 – The salvors of m chemical tanker Ievoli Sun have abandoned at least 16m3 of fuel oil on board the wreck, it was revealed yesterday. The 16m3, equivalent to about the same number of tonnes, is contained in two tanks in the centre of the sunken tanker, to which access cannot be gained from the hull. A Ministry of Transport spokeswoman at the headquarters of the salvage operation in Cherbourg confirmed yesterday that the oil was being left on board the vessel but discounted any risk of serious pollution. She acknowledged that the oil could be expected to be released into the sea at some time in the future but it would be released in small quantities which would disperse and evaporate once it reached the surface. The oil was being left in the wreck because it was impossible to gain access to the tanks concerned. The recovery of the fuel oil on board Ievoli Sun was carried out by Smit Tak, using a remote offloading system, piloted by a remotely operated vehicle, but the spokeswoman said that, even with divers, recovery of all the oil would have been impossible. There can be no question of them going inside the wreck, she said. Even taking into account the oil which is being abandoned inside the wreck, however, a considerable quantity of the 175 tonnes of fuel oil understood to have been on board Ievoli Sun has not been accounted for. A total of 88m3 of bunkering was recovered from the wreck in the course of the salvage operation, which was officially completed last Friday, but, taking into account the 16 tonnes still in the wreck, more than 70 tonnes has gone missing. The ministry spokeswoman said the bulk of the oil is assumed to have been released in the course of the sinking on 31 October. One 30m3 fuel tank, which was particularly "badly damaged", yielded only 1m3 of oil in the course of pumping, while another 25m3 tank yielded 15m3. Of the two other 52m3 fuel tanks, which were pumped, one produced 18m3 and the other 54m3 more than its capacity, raising the possibility that the tanks were communicating with each other. Other fuel oil could be inside the double hull.

5 June 2001 – Jessica (Ecuador)

Authorities in the Galapagos Islands are to file a major claim against the insurer and other parties over the grounding of m tanker Jessica, which spilled a reported 240,000 gallons of oil in ecologically-sensitive waters. The Government of the Ecuadorian archipelago has retained Miami law firm Podhurst Orseck Josefsberg Eaton Meadow Olin & Perwin to act on its behalf. It said the insurer was Air and Sea Insurance Corp. of Miami and the claim was being made in the Florida jurisdiction. The size of the likely claim was unclear, but the law firm has a history of representing governments in substantial claims against the tobacco industry. Galapagos officials claim the incident caused extensive contamination and damage to the environment of the islands, famed for their unique wildlife.

7 June 2001 – Insurance interests facing legal action over the grounding of m tanker Jessica have denied any responsibility for the vessel spilling oil off the ecologically unique Galapagos Islands in January. Miami-based Air & Sea Insurance Corp. said the protection and indemnity policy which it placed with Terra Nova Insurance was cancelled the previous year. Lawyers for the islands, government have said they will sue Air & Sea if it refuses to pay on what it said was a $10 million policy, within 30 days. They said they would claim an amount between $30 million and $100 million in court. Hadrian Tuck, a partner at Air & Sea, said his company had yet to be approached directly by anyone acting on behalf of the Galapagos Islands. If the local government did so, his company would provide it with copies of documents showing cover ceased before the material time. A senior official at Terra Nova in London confirmed the cover ended in 2000, and said the owner, Acotramar, had stated in public it had been unwilling to pay for insurance any longer, and would not submit the vessel for survey.

21 June 2001 – Ecuador has launched a study into whether m tanker Jessica that ran aground on a reef off the Galapagos Islands, spilling thousands of gallons of fuel, should be moved, the environment ministry said on Tuesday (19 June). While pollution was limited by strong currents that carried most of the fuel away from island shores, Jessica is still stuck half a mile off San Cristobal Island. "A study has been contracted to seek alternatives", Environment Minister Lourdes Luque told reporters. Several environmental experts have contended that leaving Jessica where she is poses no ecological threat to the islands, but the government maintains the hulk is an eyesore in the tropical paradise cherished by eco-tourists from across the globe.

13 June 2001 – Endah Lestari (Indonesia)

Tanker Endah Lestari, laden with a toxic industrial chemical, capsized at the Tebrau Straits early this morning, causing an environmental disaster in Johor waters. A total of 33 fishermen, who kept thousands of fish and mussels in 85 off-shore cages, woke up this morning to find them all dead. A large number of sea fish were also found belly-up in the straits, off Kampung Pasir Putih, where 125 fishermen live. The marine life was killed by the chemical identified as phenol, a highly-volatile alkaline hydroxyl compound, as well as diesel, which leaked out when the tanker sank. Harbour Master Director (Southern Region) Hazman Hussein said the 13 crew members, including the master, from the Indonesian-registered tanker Endah Lestari, escaped to safety. He said the crew was now at Johor Port, pending an investigation. The tanker has a liquid bulk cargo capacity of 630 metric tonnes. "About 600 metric tonnes of the chemical spilled into the sea after she capsized, about 04.00. The tanker was leaving Johor Port about 03.00, after she was loaded with the chemical. The vessel capsized at the Tebrau Straits and was towed to shallow waters about 100m off Kampung Pasir Putih to prevent navigational obstruction along the waterway. A large amount of diesel also spilled into the water", he said. The tanker was leaving for Banjarmasin, in East Kalimantan, when the incident occurred, two nautical miles off the Johor Port, near Pulau Punggol. The Department of Environment, which was alerted to the incident this morning, is collecting water samples. Its director, Tengku Bakry Tengku Johan, said oil booms had been placed around the tanker to prevent the diesel from spreading out and causing further damage to the environment. He said there was no way to contain phenol which, in any case, was highly volatile and evaporated easily. "It is invisible and we just have to let it evaporate. It is too early to tell how extensive the damage to the environment is. However, it is the main killer of the marine lives", he said. Fishermen in the village are unhappy that the tanker was towed to the shallow water off their village, as this caused the death of marine lives and jeopardised their livelihood. The Harbour Master Office and the Department of Environment have patrol boats on standby in the area to monitor the situation. London, 14 June – A press report, dated today, states: M tanker Endah Lestari, carrying 600 tonnes of the industrial solvent phenol, began listing shortly after leaving the port of Pasir Gudang early yesterday, officials said. The master called for assistance, but the vessel rolled onto her side while being towed from the busy sea lane between Singapore and Peninsula Malaysia. Officials suspected a cargo shift that affected tanker stability. Phenol and a large amount of diesel spilled into the water. The Johor Port Authority, which is undertaking the clean-up, said it did not know how much phenol seeped out because the chemical is colourless and so corrosive that divers cannot examine the hull without special equipment. Oil booms were containing the diesel but it was impossible to control the leaked phenol, which is diluted in water and evaporates easily. Fishermen along the area's coast breed fish and mussels in cages, and reported that many of their crops died. Mohammad Dolmat, of the Fishermen's Association, said shipping company personnel had said fish would be unfit for human consumption for some time.

15 June 2001 – Singapore-based salvors of the capsized m tanker Endah Lestari face a dangerous task removing the vessel's remaining cargo of highly corrosive industrial chemical phenol. Kasel Salvage was contracted to remove the cargo and retrieve the wreck yesterday. The relatively small 4m-long chemical tanker is understood to have begun listing shortly after it embarked at about 02.00. It had loaded 630 tonnes of phenol, a corrosive chemical which dissolves in water but is highly toxic to sealife and can cause serious irritation to humans. The heavily tilting vessel capsized as she was towed into shallow waters by passing vessels which responded to her distress calls. She was deliberately grounded within 100m of Kampung Pasir Putih to prevent her causing a navigational obstruction in the busy straits. Authorities in both Singapore and Malaysia have been unable to confirm how much of the toxic cargo spilled from the wreck or whether, as reported elsewhere, significant amounts of diesel fuel were also spilled. However, an expert source said the salvage operation – which began yesterday afternoon – would be both dangerous and prolonged. He said the vessel's remaining cargo required specialised equipment to remove, including treated pipes, pumps and storage containers before any thought was given to righting the tanker. "The priority is the cargo", the source said, "it's a very dangerous cargo, you have to be very, very careful." A statement issued by the Singapore Ministry of the Environment on Wednesday (13 June) night advised the public against fishing or swimming in waters "at Pulau Ubin, Changi, Pasir Ris and Punggol until further notice" as a precautionary measure. It confirmed the incident reports and said it would continue to monitor water conditions. The Singapore Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) yesterday also prohibited the harvesting and sale of all fish from the 37 floating fish farms located in the Pulau Ubin and Serangoon coastal areas affected by the phenol spill. "These 37 farms supply less than 1 per cent of our total fish consumption of 100,000 tonnes a year", a statement said, explaining that no fish from the contaminated farms had been harvested for sale through AVA's Senoko Fishing Port since the spill and promising to monitor the situation. "AVA will only lift the suspension on the harvesting and sale of fish from these farms when the fish are found to be safe for consumption." Malaysian media reported yesterday that the spill had killed thousands of fish and mussels, including almost all those reared in sea farm cages at Kampung Pasir Putih. Several reports quote those most affected by the mass deaths demanding compensation. Malaysian authorities have also issued a warning against eating fish potentially contaminated with the chemical. Those living in affected areas have demanded answers about why the vessel was brought so close to shore, effectively devastating their farm stocks. But an experienced sea pilot said that while navigation in the area was straightforward, he understood the master of the Endah Lestari did the responsible thing when his vessel encountered difficulties. He said the listing was probably due to mistaken opening or closing of valves on board which caused the liquid cargo to flow to one side.

15 June 2001 – A press release from the liability insurance representatives of the owners of m tanker Endah Lestari, dated today, states: Kasel Salvage began the process of removing the cargo of phenol from the vessel yesterday afternoon. Dr J.H. Burgoynes & Partners have been retained to assist with the clean-up. The cargo is to be transferred to another tanker, which is due to arrive on the scene on Sunday (17 June), after which it is hoped that pumping operations will commence. The task is complicated by the fact that the cargo is stored in several tanks, and so will have to be pumped out tank by tank.

16 June 2001 – When tanker Endah Lestari sank on Wednesday the phenol level was 11 parts per million (ppm), while dead fish from the area were found to contain 25ppm of the chemical. Johor Department of Environment Director Tengku Bakry Shah Tengku Johan said the safety level of phenol content in water was below 0.2ppm, adding that 1g of pure phenol was enough to kill a man. "The safety level of the water is now stable and healthy", he said. "Yesterday, tests showed there was no phenol in the water. There is, however, a risk of the water being contaminated with the chemical again." That risk remains for as long as the cargo is left in the sunken vessel. On another matter, Tengku Bakry clarified that the sea off Pasir Gudang was not a dugong habitat. He said previously that, the sea mammals were found dead in Pasir Gudang waters because the carcasses had been carried there by currents. "Nevertheless, we will look into the impact of the chemical spill on dugongs after we have solved the emergency matter at hand", he said, commenting on a call by the World Wildlife Fund Malaysia yesterday for authorities to look into the risk of the sea mammals being affected by the toxic spill. Johor Port Authority Deputy General Manager, Damon Nori Masood, said the operation to pump out the chemical from the vessel might take place tomorrow after all the safety planning was in place. Yesterday the salvage team working on the tanker was busy drawing up precautionary measures to pump out the poisonous chemical from the vessel. Salvage Master Charles Deeney said exposure of body parts to the highly concentrated phenol for more than ten minutes could lead to the collapse of internal organs and eventually death. Deeney believed the main bulk of the 630 tonnes of toxic cargo still remained in the sunken vessel as phenol is heavier than water, and the tanker had an intact water-tight compartment for her cargo.

17 June 2001 – Authorities said yesterday a highly toxic chemical which destroyed dozens of seafood farms in southern Malaysia over the past three days had stopped leaking from m tanker Endah Lestari. Damon Nori Masood, a senior port official in the southern state of Johor, said waters affected by the spillage were now free of the industrial solvent phenol. The substance leaked from the vessel as she lay on her side in shallow water near a busy shipping lane between Singapore and Malaysia. It was too early to say why the leak had stopped or how it had happened, Damon said. "Our main priority now is to transfer the remaining cargo to another vessel", he said. It was not known how much of the vessel's cargo of 661 tons of phenol had leaked out since she tipped over early on Wednesday (13 June) about 50yd from partly submerged wooden cages used to breed mussels and other seafood. Authorities in Singapore and Malaysia have banned the sale of seafood from the area. Damon said yesterday that plans to pump the phenol from the vessel were still on hold until authorities were certain that further movements on the vessel would not trigger another spill. Phenol is colourless and mixes easily with water, making it impossible to determine the exact size of the spill until all of the remaining cargo has been measured.

18 June 2001 – Workers began cutting a hole in leaking m tanker Endah Lestari today to pump out a highly toxic chemical that has ruined seafood farms in southern Malaysia. Officials want to remove the vessel's remaining cargo of phenol before the leaking toxin causes further damage, said Damon Nori Masood, Deputy General Manager of the Port Authority in southern Johor state. The task was considered "quite dangerous" and might take four or five days if the initial work proceeds smoothly without spilling more of the chemical, Damon said.

18 June 2001 – A press release from the liability insurance representatives of m tanker Endah Lestari, states: Following a briefing by the appointed salvors Kasel Salvage Pte Ltd, to all parties concerned, including a detailed explanation of procedures for the removal by pumping of cargo, the Johar Port Authority gave permission at 09.45, yesterday for the salvage operation to proceed. The receiving vessel Suhaile has arrived on site and specialist equipment has been fitted to facilitate cargo transfer. A first entry cut into a cargo tank was made at 1500 hrs, yesterday. Offloading is expected to take three to four days if no problems are encountered.

19 June 2001 – Legitimate compensation claims by Malaysian fishermen whose farm stocks were poisoned by a chemical spill in the Johor Straits last Thursday will be considered by insurers, a spokesman's statement said. A Singapore spokesman for Rotterdam-based InterCoastal Shipowners P&I Club said immediate steps had been taken to recover the remaining cargo of toxic phenol from tanker Endah Lestari before any further contamination occurred. "The company regrets that the incident has occurred. It will consider legitimate claims which are the direct result of the chemical spill, in accordance with the rules of normal protection and indemnity practice," he said. He said the bulk of the 630 tonnes remained on board the tanker. Singapore-based Kasel Salvage had brought in specialist equipment including a second chemical tanker yesterday to transfer the phenol. Pumping began yesterday and will continue for three to four days. "The job is complicated by the fact that the cargo is held in several tanks. Because of this, the chemical has to be pumped out tank by tank." A statement said salvors would "endeavour to prevent leaks into the water". The Singapore Ministry of the Environment (ENV) and the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority will not lift bans on water activities and fish harvesting in affected areas "until further notice".

19 June 2001 – M tanker Endah Lestari: Kasel Salvage began removing the remainder of the vessel's cargo of phenol yesterday morning. By the end of yesterday, 165 tonnes had been pumped from two of the vessel's five cargo tanks into m chemical tanker Suhaila. Salvors expect to have another 250 tonnes pumped out by this evening. The operation is expected to take another two days to complete.

21 June 2001 – All remaining phenol is expected to be removed from the capsized m tanker Endah Lestari by tomorrow. More than 600 tonnes of the corrosive chemical was on board the vessel when she encountered trouble in the Johor Straits on 13 June. Singapore's Kasel Salvage has already pumped more than 250 tons from the Endah Lestari onto a chemical tanker brought in for the salvage, and is expected to empty all five cargo tanks before tomorrow.

23 June 2001 – The marine authorities in Johor are planning to refloat m tanker Endah Lestari, after chemical pumping operations on the vessel in the Johor Straits ended yesterday. The chemicals have been transferred to m chemical tanker Suhaila, anchored next to the Endah Lestari. A total of 608 tonnes of phenol was pumped out. It is not clear where the cargo will be taken and a spokesman for the operations did not reveal the destination. Refloating is expected to take up to ten days. Meanwhile, the ban on fish harvesting and water activities will continue until further notice in both Malaysia and Singapore. A Singapore Ministry of Environment (ENV) spokesman said there was "still a risk of phenol leaks", while the Johor Port Authority (JPA) is still testing the level of pollution around the vessel. A JPA spokesman believes that life will return to normal soon, especially in the Johor coastal village of Kampung Pasir Putih, which is only about 100m from the stricken vessel.

27 June 2001 – The Ministry of the Environment has given the all-clear for fishing and seaside activities in areas affected by the phenol tanker (Endah Lestari) spill on 13 June. ENV said the remaining phenol from the capsized tanker was removed a few days ago, and its latest monitoring shows no phenol has been detected. It has declared the coastal areas of Pulau Ubin, Pasir Ris, Punggol and Changi safe for swimming and fishing. The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has thus lifted its suspension on the harvesting and sale of fish from the 37 affected fish farms. Using sophisticated equipment that can detect minute traces of phenol, AVA has been testing the fish samples from the farms and has found the fish safe for consumption.

28 June 2001 – The Johor Port Authority has declared the waters around Kampung Pasir Putih, where phenol-laden tanker Endah Lestari sank on 13 June, as free of contamination. Its general manager, Mohd Rozali Mohd Ali, said the remaining 605 tonnes of phenol had been transferred from the Indonesia-bound Endah Lestari to another vessel. He said the vessel and her contents would be under the custody of the port authority until compensation matters were cleared by the ship-owners, adding that the vessel was expected to be refloated by this weekend. Mohd Rozali said compensation would cover loss of revenue of the fishermen and expenses incurred by government agencies and the JPA. He said the vessel and phenol would be released after the vessel's insurers give the undertaking to compensate. He added that investigation was still going on to find out the reasons for the vessel's sinking. He said the port authority would set up a unit to tackle future spills from vessels' toxic material for the numerous factories in the Pasir Gudang area. He acknowledged that the port authority was not equipped to tackle any dangerous cargo spill in the Tebrau Straits because of a lack of expertise and apparatus.

26 June 2001 – New Carissa (Panama)

Clausen Oysters won a $1.43 million judgement on Friday (22 June) against the owners and operator of m wood-chip carrier New Carissa for damaging the company's oyster beds when the vessel ran aground near the mouth of Coos Bay. A 12-person federal jury in Eugene agreed that fuel oil from New Carissa, which wrecked on 4 February 1999, was responsible for destroying at least 38 per cent of Clausen's crop. Attorneys for the shipping companies had argued that a change in salinity in the bay caused the oysters to die. Among their supporting evidence was the fact that oysters in areas not exposed to the oil also died, according to court documents. Melinda Merrill of the Rockey Company in Portland, which represents the shipping companies, said they were disappointed with the decision. Named in the lawsuit were New Carissa owner Green Atlas, fuel company Taiheiyo Kaiun Co. and ship operator TMM Company. Merrill said the shipping companies are uncertain at this time whether to appeal. They have 30 days to decide. Clausen, 65, said it has been a stressful two years for her family as they worked with creditors to keep their 21-year-old company afloat. The Clausens originally planned to sue for $3 million but took the advice of their attorney and narrowed the amount to actual losses of $1.5 million. Neither side knew why the jury reduced the amount to $1.43 million, but Clausen's San Francisco attorney, Bud Walsh, speculated the jury may have taken into account the fact that some oysters survived. Clausen said the amount will pay the bills and help the company recover, but the $3 million would have been more representative of the true loss. Under the Oregon Oil Spill Act, the Clausens are also entitled to payments for legal expenses, which will exceed $500,000, Walsh said.

5 July 2001 – Erika (Malta)

The International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund has increased the percentage of claims to be paid for damage due to the 1999 m tanker Erika oil spill from 60 per cent to 80 per cent, according to IOPC Fund director Mans Jacobsson. The decision was taken because the fund now has a clearer idea of the size of claims because French claimants, which include the tourist industry, have now filed their VAT statistics for the 2001 tax year so the fund is dealing with real statistics, Mr Jacobsson said. He added that the fund had not been getting tourist claims in the volumes it might have expected to result from the Erika spill. Many of the claims were small – in the £4,000 to £6,000 range – although nonetheless vital for small businesses with limited cash-flow resources. The truly big claims are those of the French government and oil major TotalFina, which stand last in the queue for claims payments. The total sum of compensation available through the Fund Convention would be breached if the French and TotalFinas claims were included. The fund inter-sessional working group reviewing the international compensation regime has also agreed in principal to introduce an international opt-in third tier of oil spill compensation to be funded by oil receivers.

16 July 2001 – Amorgos (Greece)

The following was received from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Ltd, dated 6 July: M bulk carrier Amorgos, oil pollution incident, Lung Pan, Taiwan, 14 January: The final stage of shoreline clean-up was completed toward the end of May to the satisfaction of the Taiwan authorities and disposal of the last of the recovered liquid oil and oily debris was completed around the end of June. There remains some restoration work to be done on access tracks to some shoreline areas. ITOPF continues to work closely with the authorities and relevant parties on the assessment and resolution of various claims and an environmental monitoring programme is underway.

26 July 2001 – Visiting family members of detained personnel of Greek m bulk carrier Amorgos, which ran aground in southern Taiwan in January, appealed to the ROC government yesterday to allow the vessel's master and chief engineer to leave Taiwan, Accompanied by activists from the Taiwan Human Rights Promotion Association (THRPA), the wife and two sons of Vasileios Sardis, chief engineer of Amorgos, appealed to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) for the early release of Sardis and the Captain Evangelos Lazaridis, both of whom have been banned from leaving Taiwan since the incident. THRPA officials said the Taiwan authorities have been keeping Lazaridis and Sardis hostage in the wake of the incident that caused extensive oil pollution to a sensitive area of Taiwan's southern coastline. Preventing them from leaving Taiwan, which has not helped resolve the case and has been of no help in obtaining compensation from the shipowner, is a violation of human rights and a contradiction of President Chen Shuibian's stance of upholding human rights, they pointed out. Shih Tsung-Li, a lawyer for the vessel's Taiwan agent, also called for the EPA to help the two men leave Taiwan as soon as possible. He said Lazaridis and Sardis are only staff hired by the Greek shipping company that owns Amorgos and noted that they have no say, either in negotiations between the EPA, the Greek shipowner and the insurance company, or in issues pertaining to compensation and guarantees. In response, EPA officials said restricting the vessel's master and chief engineer from leaving the country was a move compliant with the law, but agreed that it was indeed hoped that the move would "force" the Greek owner of the vessel to discuss compensation to Taiwan for the incident. EPA officials claimed that Lazaridis did not authorise an SOS signal to be sent until 12 hours after the vessel's engines broke down in heavy seas and that, after the mishap, the crew members managed to salve all their belongings except for the most important ship's log. However, following the incident, the EPA itself was lambasted for the ineptitude and negligence it displayed, which is widely believed to have been the real cause of the extent of the pollution. The EPA's poor handling of the case later forced EPA head Lin Chun-yi to resign and assume responsibility. After more than ten rounds of negotiations between the ship owner, the insurance company and the EPA, no agreement nor resolution has yet been reached. EPA officials said that from their point of view, the best and quickest solution to the case would be for the Greek owner of the vessel or his insurance company to issue a written guarantee that one or the other will be responsible for paying the compensation demanded by the ROC government. Meanwhile, unconfirmed sources in Athens said that the Greek Foreign Ministry has threatened to close down Taiwan's representative office in Athens if the Taiwan authorities continue to detain Lazaridis and Sardis.

30 July 2001 – Baltic Carrier (Marshall Islands)

Westax Marine Services AB reported today: Reference collision between m chemical tanker Baltic Carrier and m bulk carrier Tern on 29 March. The biggest outlet of oil in Danish waters, where over 2,700 tons damaged the shores at Moen and Boge: after technical survey and investigation it is now confirmed that it was not the human factor that caused the collision between the two vessels, but technical failure of the steering engine on board Baltic Carrier which suddenly changed course in front of the Tern and caused the collision. However, on board the Tern, the officer in charge had just gone into the chart room, to check the position of the vessel, and temporarily left the bridge without full control over the situation, and this made the Tern partially liable for the incident.

31 July 2001 – Dingalan Bay (Philippines)

The Singapore owner of m container vessel Pacific Eagle, which was involved in a collision that sank mv Dingalan Bay in the Philippines, has denied press reports that the master had acknowledged problems with its steering and engine. A report in the Philippines Star said that preliminary investigations revealed the master of the Pacific Eagle had acknowledged problems with the vessels steering. The owners have spoken to the master of the vessel who confirmed that the vessel had no steering or mechanical failure at or immediately prior to the incident, said the company. The owners noted that the vessel was Singapore-registered, which implies a high reputation for regulatory maintenance. They also pointed out that she was classed with Lloyd's Register, which has an excellent reputation for class maintenance. The master did not make any acknowledgement of mechanical failure as there was no necessity for such admission since the vessel was class-maintained and completely seaworthy, the company added.

31 July 2001 – The Philippine Coast Guard said the recovery and clean-up operation of oil spillage from mv Dingalan Bay is almost completed, reaching about 98 per cent accomplishment. In a hearing conducted by the city council's Committee on Environment and Natural Resources last Friday, Philippine Coast Guard Commander Crisolito Agustin said the recovery of oil spillage contained in the 350m oil spill boom is almost completed. However, the clean-up operation will still be considered incomplete unless the sunken Dingalan Bay is salved or refloated. Agustin said it was able to recover approximately 12,500L of bunker oil which are now placed in a container provided by Oceanic Container Lines. The recovery team also retrieved one truckload of floating debris heavily soaked with spilt oil inside the spill boom that was laid out to contain the oil spill. Currently, Agustin said, there are about two gallons of mixed oil per day which continue to flow from the sunken vessel. There is approximately 24,000L of special fuel oil, 8,000L of diesel oil, 1,470L of lube oil sac 40 and 420L of hydraulic oil still inside the sunken vessel. Agustin also said that chemical oil dispersant is being applied to a spotted oil slick that slipped out of the spill boom due to a strong current and big waves. "The daily clean-up operation is still in progress and we conduct coastal inspection along nearby areas in Davao Gulf to ensure it's free from oil pollution", Agustin said. Meanwhile, Councilor Tomas Monteverde IV, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chair, said he is going to pass a resolution to the Committee on Trade and Industry urging the Philippine Ports Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard to hasten the refloating operation of Dingalan Bay.

1 August 2001 – M container vessel Pacific Eagle left the port of Davao on Monday (30 July) night to return to Singapore. A Singapore-based spokesman for the vessel's owners, Pacific Eagle Lines, said that unconfirmed reports emerging from the Philippines yesterday that the vessel had been ordered to return to the port to face an inquiry into the incident were untrue. "The ship is sailing back to Singapore and will arrive on 3 August", he said, explaining that minor repairs had been completed in Davao. "They (the Philippine Coast Guard) are still investigating but there is still no result", he said. Pacific Eagle was involved in a collision with the Philippine-flagged mv Dingalan Bay, a 1,479gt vessel which was unloading steel, cars and industrial materials when it was struck and subsequently sank. The 22-year- old Singapore vessel was under pilotage and approaching to berth off Sasa Wharves when the incident occurred. Its owners agreed earlier this week to pay 1 million pesos (S$33,628) to help clean up oil spilled from the Dingalan Bay. The spokesman repeated the Singapore company's earlier statement that the container vessel did not have steering wheel or engine problems as had been reported earlier by Philippine press, which attributed the comments to the vessel's master. "The ship is completely seaworthy. It was under pilotage at the time of the incident", he said, backing up a revised statement released by Pacific Eagle Lines on Monday, which said: "The master did not make any acknowledgement of mechanical failure as there was no necessity for such admission since the vessel was class-maintained (by Lloyd's Register) and completely seaworthy. The owners have spoken to the master of the vessel who confirmed that the vessel had no steering or mechanical failure at or immediately prior to the incident. Further, Lloyd's Register tested the steering gears and main engine running condition immediately after the collision and certified that there was no problem at all with the engine condition of the vessel."

2 August 2001 – Green Aalesund (NIS)

Loss-making Nomadic Shipping is facing further woes, with the prospect of a multi-million dollar bill for a pollution clean-up and wreck-removal operation. Nomadic ref. Green Aalesund grounded near Haugesund on Norway's west coast in December. The vessel broke in two, releasing her cargo of 3,200 tons of frozen fish. Environmental consequences were severe, with the fish soon starting to rot. Furthermore, there was a spill of bunkers. The vessel was subsequently declared a total loss. Norway's broadcasting company NRK reported this week that if the authorities deem the master negligent, Nomadic could be fined at least NKr80 million ($9 million) towards clean-up costs. Nomadic Finance Director Trim Jacobsen yesterday dismissed the story as journalistic mischief making in the mid-summer news lull. He said that while the company is expecting a bill of perhaps NKr20 million for the oil clean-up, he did not believe that the master would be found guilty of negligence, and that the higher sum would not therefore be levied. "We cannot comment on hypothetical speculation. The report is not yet prepared", he added.

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