Waves of oil threaten beaches
The huge oil slick on the Celtic Sea, less than 40 miles off the Kinsale coast. The giant Russian aircraft carrier The Admiral Kuznetsov, which is 300m long, can been seen to the top left of picture, giving an indication as to the immense scale of the spillage
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CONCERNS grew last night over the potential environmental impact of a massive 500-tonne oil spill which threatens beaches on Ireland's south-east coast.
An international monitoring operation was launched as it emerged the oil slick -- almost twice as big as originally suspected -- could hit the Wexford coast in two weeks, before impacting on the Welsh coastline.
Yesterday, it appeared the Russian navy were trying to deny any involvement in the pollution scare, as the Department of Transport pinpointed a refuelling operation aboard the country's ships as a possible cause.
Officials probing the cause asked the Russian Embassy to provide samples of the oils carried onboard the Russian tankers which had refuelled the country's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, off the south coast .
The Department of the Environment, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, protection groups and shellfish farmers have all raised concerns over the potential impact on the environment as a result of the pollution.
Aerial surveillance confirmed the 522 tonnes of fuel oil had expanded to cover an area around 6km by 8km, with three distinct slicks around 39 miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale.
The Russian Naval Attache confirmed an internal investigation was being carried out into the cause of the incident. The Russian vessels, the Admiral Kuznetsov and the Admiral Chabanenko, were refuelling at sea from a tanker after a patrol.
However, the attache said they could not tell the Coast Guard how this happened or whether it was from their refuelling operations.
A Russian Navy official denied that there had been a refuelling accident with the carrier -- or that contaminated fuel had been deliberately dumped at sea.
It has emerged the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was involved in an incident in January in which a sailor was killed in a fire.
Vessels on the scene yesterday included two refuelling tankers, one aircraft carrier, a Russian ocean-going tug, a Russian destroyer, a British destroyer and Irish Naval vessel LE Aisling.
The slick, which is breaking up and spreading over a larger area, is moving eastwards around 30-40 miles off the south coast towards the south-east corner of Ireland.
Samples of the oil have been sent to a specialist laboratory in Scotland.
Some of the oil is expected to evaporate or dissolve into the water, while the majority of surface oil is expected to develop into tar balls. These may land on the south east coast in around 16 days' time and also hit the Welsh coastline, depending on weather conditions.
Declan Geoghegan, operations manager with the Irish Coast Guard, said it was not guaranteed that the oil would come ashore.
"At this time we are saying there is a possibility it won't," he said. "It may travel a course in an easterly direction, but in cooperation with the UK we are keeping a very close eye on the oil slick, and we envisage that it won't come ashore on the Irish coast at this time."
The tug MV Celtic Isle was yesterday examining the possibility of mechanical recovery of the oil at sea. If the trials are successful a clear-up operation will get underway today.
"At this point it is too early to accurately predict what volumes may come ashore and therefore what environmental, commercial and visual impact is involved," a spokeswoman from the Department of Transport said.
Any oil which lands on the south-east coast will be recovered with machines by local authorities, with assistance from the Coast Guard.
"It is too early to know what the impact might be," the Department of Environment spokesman said. "Obviously we would be concerned about the impact on wildlife."
Bord Iascaigh Mhara warned if the oil slick was to land along the south coast in Wexford or Waterford, valuable oyster and mussel farms off the coast could be placed at risk.
"Oil spillages have been known to suffocate shellfish causing entire stocks, which have taken years of effort and millions of euro of investment to build up, to be lost," he said.
Concerns
More than 100 small and medium-sized farmers operate in the inshore areas from Kenmare Bay in west Cork to Wexford Harbour.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was briefed on the operations, said it may have a role in the operation if the oil comes ashore.
Karen Dubsky, national co-ordinator of Coastwatch, voiced "huge concerns" over the potential effects on the beaches of the south-east.
She called on the Coast Guard to consider using buoys to block off some inlets if the oil continued to float on the surface of the water.
- Louise Hogan
