Great Barrier Reef oil spill - potential major disaster

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Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world's largest coral reef off northeast Australia, listed as a World Heritage site for its environmental value.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...GfOawD9ES1MS00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7087194.ece

The damned thing was 15 kilometres (9 miles) outside the shipping lane, in a restricted zone and hit the reef at full speed.

They worry that the vessel will break in half, spilling more of the 950 ton store of oil ...a fuel tank with 150 tons of heavy oil was already breached with oil spilling out.

imagine that ...our own personal Exxon Valdez spill. :mad:

david

Any comments on how they got so far outside of their shipping lane?

9 miles is not that far to be outside of a shipping lane. Winds, fog, inexperience, etc. can easily set a ship that size outside of the lane(s).

The more unfortunate part of that story is the fact that it seems as if local officials have allowed greed to cloud their judgment on shipping practices...

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Conservationists have expressed outrage that bulk carriers can travel through the reef without a marine pilot with local expertise.

"The state government is being blinded by royalties and their shortsightedness will go down in history as killing the reef," said Larissa Waters, spokeswoman for the Queensland Greens environmentally focused political party.

Bligh said the question of when ships should require a marine pilot on the reef was under review because of the increase in freight traffic that will flow from new gas and coal export contracts to China.

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@gerbick ...not that I have seen ...but hanratty is right. It has been a major concern that pilots are not required on vessels travelling within the boundaries of the reef, and this sort of disaster was inevitable as traffic increased.

Whoever made that decision should be out on the reef cleaning Nemo (in ball and chain).

It is too bad that World Heritage listing does not carry some requirements to make sure that such areas are truly protected for all, and not abused for the commercial interests of some.

david

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Originally Posted by hanratty21

9 miles is not that far to be outside of a shipping lane. Winds, fog, inexperience, etc. can easily set a ship that size outside of the lane(s).

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While you might be right, fog is unlikely there, and inexperience should not be a factor in such a region

...lets face it, we are not talking about a time when navigators dangled their balls in the water to feel the currents and water temperature, or watched the flight of seabirds. There is such a thing as GPS, and I personally think that 9 miles is a damned long way to be outside a shipping lane.

That is not only not on the highway, but in the next town.

david

Looks like greed scores another one...

David, i hope your justice system moves faster then ours.

Exxon Mobil didn't pay out till 2008 when the sinking occured in 1989
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...2_exxon07.html

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Originally Posted by david petley

...a time when navigators dangled their balls in the water...

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Useless thread without pics. ;)

I have to kindly request no pictures of aforesaid event.

^ ^ ^
For fear of this turning into another 'teabag' thread?

HA!

Wow. I really didn't see that one coming.

It is being reported in this morning's news that the ship may have been taking a 'shortcut'.

If it was, they should lock up the captain until any damage they discover (to the reef) is not visible anymore.

As an Australian I have to say that this is terrible. I've been to the great barrier reef many times and this just makes me sad :(

...it makes me :mad:

...they should take whoever is responsible and use them to remove the barnacles from the hull of that ship.