Report from Arizona Daily Star
|
| Hard lessons
The sinking of an oil tanker off the coast of Spain is a cautionary tale.
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona - Monday, 2 December 2002
As more information comes to light on the circumstances of the sinking of the huge oil tanker Prestige off the Spanish coast this month, the more apparent that this was a case in which good judgment eluded the Spanish government. Only about 10 percent of the tanker's fuel oil cargo spilled, but the rest lies at the bottom of the Atlantic in about 11,000 feet of water.
What happens to that oil seems to be anyone's guess. At that very cool depth, the cargo is a gel, said a report in the Economist. It could float to the surface or remain on the bottom for decades.
Meanwhile, the Spanish government's actions, and to a lesser extent Portugal's actions, stand as an example of what not to do when a nearly 800-foot tanker signals distress. About six days before she sank, the Prestige, on a voyage from Latvia to Singapore, reported a problem. She was 31 miles off the Spanish coast. The crew reported feeling a bump and the tanker started leaking. A Dutch salvage company, SMIT, began a rescue attempt. After enduring heavy seas, the tanker radioed for help.
The ship had drifted within six miles of the Spanish coast before the salvage operation, using tugs, managed to tow her away from the shore. The Prestige had been in the middle of gale force winds, according to reports by Marcon International, a marine consultant. A section of her bridge had been blown away.
The Spanish government, the Economist reported, ordered the Prestige's Greek captain to start the ship's engines. The Spanish government foolishly sought to direct the tanker to open water. It sent a frigate to ensure that this order would be carried out. So did the Portugese government.
The captain refused the order because he said it would subject the ship's hull to further damage. Under pressure, the captain relented and started the engines.
The Spanish and Portugese frigates watched the Prestige break into two pieces and sink after it had been towed by salvage tugs about 150 miles from the Spanish coast.
The Prestige's captain should have been recognized as the one person who could best judge his ship's condition. The salvage company also pleaded to be permitted to haul the tanker to a safe harbor where its cargo could be transferred to another tanker. The Spanish government refused the request. If the tanker had been allowed harbor protection, it might not now be at the bottom of the Atlantic. Even if it had sunk and spilled its cargo, the effect would have been confined to a much smaller area.
Nonetheless, the Spanish government contends it had done all it could do, that its decisions averted a much greater disaster. The Spanish can indulge fantasy all they like, but the hope is that other governments when faced with similar circumstances will have learned a hard lesson.
http://www.sahra.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/newsclips/ newsclip_view.pl?mode=newsclip_view&ID=4337
http://www.azstarnet.com/star/mon/21202edittanker2.html |
|
Oil Spills
Spain
Marea Negra del Prestige - Español
Prestige Oil Spill - Web Guide
CNN Europe: Sinking of the Prestige