Publication Abstract

Opportunities for at-sea response and beach clean-up to reduce the impact of oil spills: examples from the Sea Empress incident

Opportunities for at-sea response and beach clean-up to reduce the impact of oil spills: examples from the Sea Empress incident

R. Law, C. Kelly and K. Colcomb

The tanker Sea Empress ran aground at the entrance to Milford Haven, west Wales in 1996, spilling 72,000 tonnes of Forties blend crude oil and 480 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. This led to contamination of 200km of coastline. The coastline around south-west Wales is of exceptional conservation interest, and the area also supports a diverse fishery with extensive shellfish beds in some of the estuarine areas. In order to reduce the quantity of oil reaching the beaches and responding to opportunity, a vigorous aerial dispersant spraying operation was mounted, alongside other options such as at-sea recovery. Despite the success of the spraying operation, over 100 separate sites required cleaning. The coastline has a wide range of different types of shore, often in close proximity, such as sandy shores with high amenity use; rocky, cobble and shingle beaches with cliffs, and beaches with difficult access. It is also very rugged with many remote coves which can hold oil and release it later to recontaminate already cleaned areas. The majority of the sites were environmentally sensitive. Initially, priority was given to amenity beaches so that they could be available for the Easter Holiday period. Cleaning of the remaining sites was developed on an individual basis so as to minimize long-term damage. Overall, the aim was to reach the “least worst” outcome from the spill, often described as net environmental benefit analysis.

Reference:

R. Law *, C. Kelly * and K. Colcomb

ICES ASC 2005 Theme session S