Russian authorities accept blame for massive oil spillage
THE Russian naval authorities have accepted responsibility for an oil spill off the Irish coast as authorities here prepare to discuss contingency plans if the slick should come ashore.
For the past week, an international monitoring operation has continued after 300 tonnes of oil were spilled into the sea about 40 miles off the south coast as two Russian vessels, the aircraft carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov' and the 'Admiral Chabanenko' destroyer were refuelling.
Department of Transport officials will tomorrow meet local authorities in Waterford and Wexford to discuss contingency plans in the "unlikely event" the oil is washed ashore, a spokesman said yesterday.
It follows a meeting between Minister of State Noel Ahern and a high-level Russian delegation that included a naval vice-admiral and oceanography experts.
The department spokesman described the discussions as "very productive" and said the Russian delegation had acknowledged responsibility for the spillage and expressed their regret.
"At present, discussions are ongoing between Irish and Russian officials about cost recovery. That is a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Affairs in the Russian Federation."
Since the spill, the department said there had been a significant reduction in the amount of oil on the surface in the past couple of days.
Thinned
What remains of the slick is located about 40 miles south of Baltimore, but it has thinned out and has broken up into several patches which are drifting at the rate of five nautical miles a day.
The spokesman said the cost of the operation was difficult to ascertain. As no oil had come ashore, there were no clean up costs so far.
But tests had been carried out on the fuel involved and vessels had been chartered as part of the operation.
- Fergus Black
