West Cork oil spill
Encyclopedia
Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
off the southern coast of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The spill was first identified by the European Maritime Safety Agency
European Maritime Safety Agency
The European Maritime Safety Agency is a European Union agency charged with reducing the risk of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships and the loss of human lives at sea by helping to enforce the pertinent EU legislation...
's CleanSeaNet satellite monitoring system on 14 February 2009. An Irish Air Corps
Irish Air Corps
The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland providing support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as search and rescue and the Ministerial Air Transport Service...
marine patrol aircraft first spotted the slick around the which was undergoing refuelling around the same time. The Russian Navy have since accepted responsibility for the incident. The oil spill began heading eastwards and broke up. Whilst there were fears that the spill would wash up on the coast of south eastern Ireland or Wales this is no longer the case due to the spill breaking up.
Discovery
On 14 February 2009, the Irish Coast GuardIrish Coast Guard
The Irish Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transport. The Irish Search and Rescue Region, which includes most of the Republic of Ireland and parts of Northern Ireland is the area over which the coast guard has authority. This area is bounded by the UK Search and Rescue Region...
received a European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) satellite surveillance report indicating the presence of pollution off the south coast of Ireland. The Coast Guard dispatched an Irish Air Corps
Irish Air Corps
The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland providing support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as search and rescue and the Ministerial Air Transport Service...
CASA CN-235
CASA CN-235
The CASA/IPTN CN-235 is a medium-range twin-engined transport plane that was jointly developed by CASA of Spain and IPTN of Indonesia as a regional airliner and military transport. Its primary military roles include maritime patrol, surveillance, and air transport...
maritime patrol aircraft to investigate which confirmed the presence of oil on the surface of the sea around a Russian Navy oil tanker and the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. The spill was located in international waters
International waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
80 km (50 mi) south of Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean and the most southerly point of Ireland. It lies southwest of Cape Clear Island and from County Cork on the Irish mainland...
, Ireland's most southwesterly point, and spread over an area measuring 6.4 km (4 mi) by 8 km (5 mi).
Underway replenishment
Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...
from a Russian supply tanker. The attaché confirmed an internal investigation is being carried out into the cause of the incident and said that Russian aerial surveillance considered that approximately 300 tonnes of oil was on the sea surface but could not tell how this happened or whether it was from their refuelling operations. The Russian Navy offered no explanation for the presence of the oil but began an internal investigation into the matter. Admiral Korolev, the commander of the Russian ships has stated that the refuelling proceeded in a routine manner and that there had been no leaks. The Russian Navy says that it is willing to share data in an attempt to identify the origin of the spill which it says is "not catastrophic in nature and does not present a threat to the coastal environment". The Admiral Kuznetsov is normally accompanied by at least one ocean-going tug in case of breakdown. On this occasion, she was also accompanied by the Russian destroyer, Admiral Chabanenko. The carrier was en route to its home port following exercises in the Mediterranean Sea where, on 6 January, it suffered a fire which resulted in the death of one sailor.
The British Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard is the service of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating air-sea rescue.HM Coastguard is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime Search and Rescue within the UK...
initially estimated the quantity of oil spilled as around 1,000 tonnes, later revised down to 522 and then to 300 tonnes, a figure with which the Irish Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
agreed. If the original 1,000 tonnes estimate was proven accurate then this oil spill would be the biggest to have affected Great Britain and Ireland since the ran aground near Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
in 1996.
Slick movement
Late on 17 February 2009, the estimated amount of oil was revised downwards to 522 tonnes and it was 63 kilometres (39.1 mi) off the Irish coast. The slick had broken into three streams and was moving eastwards along Ireland's south coast, at a distance of around 48–64 km (30-40 mi) offshore. On 18 February changing wind patterns and unexpected mild weather had pushed the oil slick, which had not moved significantly since the evening before, further from shore. The Irish Coast Guard ran computer simulations of the spill and expected some oil to dissolve or evaporate. Depending on weather conditions, the spill could have washed up onto the Irish south-east coast in late February and may hit Wales shortly after. On 20 February, however, the spill was reported to be moving very slowly eastwards and the Irish Coast Guard said that it was possible that the slick may avoid the Irish coast completely, owing to favourable winds. By 23 February the spill was moving eastwards at just five nautical miles per day and was 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) south of Cork harbour and continuing to disperse. As of 25 February the slick is expected to move northwards and away from the Irish coastline whilst continuing to disperse and break up. The Coast Guard no longer expects the slick to make landfall before disintegrating unless wind direction and speed change unexpectedly.Environmental impact
The spill threatens birds, dolphins, porpoises and seals that are native to Ireland's south coast. The Irish Farmers' AssociationIrish Farmers' Association
The Irish Farmers' Association is a national organisation to represent the interests of all sectors of farming in the Republic of Ireland...
(IFA) Aquaculture division called on the relevant local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
The Environmental Protection Agency has responsibilities for a wide range of licensing, enforcement, monitoring and assessment activities associated with environmental protection.-See also: * Conservation biology* Ecology* Environmental protection...
to ensure that shellfish farmers in counties Cork, Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
and Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
were protected. According to the IFA, over 25% of national production of mussels and oysters are cultivated in this area. The Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord Iascaigh Mhara or BIM is the agency of the Irish State with responsibility for developing the Irish marine fishing and aquaculture industries....
(Irish Fisheries Board) is also testing wild and farmed shellfish on the southern coast as a precautionary measure. Both the Irish and Russian authorities have stated that so far the spill has not affected fishing areas or coastal habitats.
Irish Coast Guard
Both , a British destroyer, and LÉ AislingLÉ Aisling (P23)
LÉ Aisling is an Offshore Patrol Vessel in the Irish Naval Service. The ship was named after the poem, Aisling to commemorate the centenary of the birth of the poet and nationalist Patrick Pearse....
, an Irish Naval Service
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
vessel responded to the scene. The Russian vessels left the area around 18 February, having completed refuelling. Samples of the oil were taken for analysis at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.This involves coordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard , ensuring that...
's (MCA) labs in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and Ireland has requested samples of oils carried on board the Russian vessels from the Russian Embassy in Dublin. The Irish Coast Guard contracted a tug, the Celtic Isle, equipped with oil dispersal equipment from a Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
based company. The tug assessed and attempted to deploy skimmers
Skimmer (machine)
An oil skimmer is a machine that separates a liquid from particles floating on it or from another liquid. A common application is removing oil floating on water. These technologies are commonly used for oil spill remediation but are also commonly found in industry...
on 18 February, but the Irish Coast Guard director has said that international experience showed that success could be very limited. “Unless this fuel oil can be sprayed within the first day of a spill, it is very difficult to deal with, and collection at sea has a success rate of about 1%”. The Celtic Isle was stood down by 26 February after recovery of the oil met with little success. The EMSA’s pollution response vessel for this Atlantic region, the Galway Fisher, also made its way to Cork to take on board anti-pollution equipment and remain on stand-by. The MCA laboratory confirmed that the oil involved was a light crude oil
Light crude oil
Light crude oil is liquid petroleum that has a low density and flows freely at room temperature. It has a low viscosity, low specific gravity and high API gravity due to the presence of a high proportion of light hydrocarbon fractions. It generally has a low wax content...
on 21 or 22 February. Further test results announced on 26 February revealed the oil to have come from Russia.
Local authorities
It was reported that both the British and Irish governments had drafted emergency plans for the cleaning of any affected coasts. Oil washed up in Ireland was due to be recovered mechanically by local authorities using bulldozerBulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
s and skimmers with the assistance and supervision of the Coast Guard. By 23 February it was reported that none of the Wexford, Waterford or Cork local authorities had completed oil pollution response plans as required by law since 1999, but Wexford's plan was almost complete.
Russian Navy
On 20 February the Russian military stated that it believed that the spill might have been caused during cleaning of the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov. They dispatched a high-level diplomatic delegation to Ireland to discuss the impact of the spill. The delegation included experts in the field and Vice-Admiral Popov, the deputy commander of the Russian Navy. They met with the Irish Minister of StateMinister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
for the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
, Noel Ahern
Noel Ahern
Noel Ahern is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North West constituency from 1992 to 2011. He also served as the Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Road Safety from May 2008 to April 2009...
, and Irish Coast Guard officials on 23 February. The discussions included an assessment of the cost of recovery of the oil and the determination of liability for the spill.
On 24 February, 10 days after the initial spill, the Russian delegation admitted, with extreme regret, responsibility for the incident. The high-level Russian military delegation told the Irish Coast Guard that the incident may have occurred when bilges were inadvertently pumped out 80 km southeast of Fastnet Rock. The Russian internal investigation stated that "technical malfunction and human error" were the causes of the spill. The Irish and Russian governments still disagree over the size of the spill. The Russian Navy estimates it at 20 to 30 tons whilst the Irish Coast Guard estimates 300 tons.
The Irish Coast Guard expressed disappointment that notification of the pollution incident had not been made earlier as earlier notification would have facilitated spraying and reduced potential risk. However, Irish Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds said he accepted the delegation’s explanation. The total cost of the monitoring operation is estimated at €250,000, which the Russian Federation may contribute towards. This will depend on bilateral discussions between the Russian Federation and the Irish Government.