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Costa Concordia: Officials consider removing fuel from ship

Italian officials weigh up decision to begin pumping some half a million gallons of fuel from the capsised cruise ship

Italian officials were clearing hurdles Monday to begin pumping some half a million gallons of fuel from the capsised Costa Concordia that threaten an environmental catastrophe, as divers continued the search for 19 people known missing.

Civil protection officials were deciding whether to halt the search so the pumping of the fuel could begin, as islanders grew increasingly concerned about the possibility that the double-bottomed tanks holding some 2,200 metric tonnes of heavy fuel could leak.

The pristine sea around Giglio, where the ship with 4,200 people aboard rammed a reef and sliced open its hull on 13 January before turning over on its side, is a prized fishing area and part of a protected area for whales and dolphins.

"They should start the oil drainage operations on the ship. At this point those who died will not come back to life. Even if they pull them out later, unfortunately it won't make a difference," resident Andrea Ginanneschi told Associated Press.

Smit said on Monday that Italian authorities have indicated it can begin the removal once a second absorbent boom is in place around the ship and following the arrival of an oil removal vessel, expected later Monday. The booms are used "to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and to help make recovery easier," the company said on its website.

"Based on the current insights, it is understood that the Italian marine authorities will permit oil removal activities to commence once these precautionary measures have been put in place," Smit said in a statement.

Already, some diesel and lubricants have leaked into the water near the ship, probably from machinery on board. Officials have characterised the contamination as superficial.

Besides the heavier fuel, there also are 185 metric tonnes of diesel and lubricants on board – some dispersed in machinery and lifeboats, and not in 17 double-bottomed tanks that hold most of the fuel – in addition to chemicals including cleaning products and chlorine.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/23/costa-concordia-fuel-ship?INTCMP=SRCH

QUESTIONS

- What are the possible effects of an oil leak in this area?

- Which species could be affected?

- Who do you think is the responsible of this accident?

- Is there any similarity with the Spanish accident of "Prestige" in 2002?