STORM DUMPS CARGO OVERBOARD AS SHIP BREAKS UP AT SEA
AT LEAST 158 OF 2,323 CONTAINERS COULD SPILL HARMFUL POLLUTANTS
24 January 2007 :: Lainey Johr
The 62,000 ton cargo ship MSC Napoli broke apart off the coast of Devon, England, during last Thursday’s storm system over the UK. A World Heritage Site, the coastline is home to a variety of plant and animal species, and some of the ship’s toxic cargo containers have already spilled into the sea.
The Britain based Environment Agency is monitoring the vessel that has already leaked 200 tons of oil and possibly other toxic chemicals and it continues to bob at a 35-degree angle in the sea.
158 of the ship’s 2,323 containers are said to contain pollutants. 200 of the containers have already fallen overboard, and 3 of which contain ‘dangerous, but low risk’ goods.
The ship began to break against high winds, waves, and rocks, causing the Coastguard Agency to tow it away from deep water for fear that it would sink. They were unable to tow it far and were forced to ground the operation as the structure began to break apart.
Although all 26 crewmembers were helicoptered off of the vessel, a last-minute attempt to contain the loss of oil had failed.
The marine life of Lyme Bay, the Heritage site most at risk, contains a healthy variety of coral, including the uncommon pink sea fan. Over one dozen sea birds have been found covered in oil, and the situation is being scrutinized by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to ensure a fast and efficient cleanup operation.
There have been questions regarding the vessel’s seaworthiness, as it had already undergone a repair after colliding into a coral reef in 2001. Showing evidence of poor maintenance or design, this ship should have been able to maintain structural integrity during the storm, and this incident serves as a reminder to the shipping industry to take better precautions with their vessels.
A part of the Jurassic Coast, which got its name from its geologic record of 180-million years, Lyme Bay and its surrounding coastline is among Britain’s first World Heritage Sites. Its waters are one of 32 high-risk environmental areas where shipping is restricted due to a past incident involving a tanker.
Several containers have washed ashore, including BMW motorcycles, perfume and barrels of wine. Onlookers and scavengers have been instructed to avoid salvaging the goods that have washed ashore, as substances such as battery acid and pesticides are also thought to be among the vagabond goods and pose a serious health risk. [s]
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