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Old 03-13-2009, 03:49 PM   #1
Antaletriangle
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Join Date: Sep 2008
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Default Australian beaches declared disaster zones after large oil slick hits

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...lick-hits.html

A disaster zone was declared on dozens of Australia's most pristine and popular beaches after more than 100,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil washed up from a leaking tanker.

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney
Last Updated: 2:24PM GMT 13 Mar 2009

A huge oil slick blackens the sand of a beach near Cape Moreton on Moreton Island, Queensland, Australia Photo: EPA
A black layer of sludge, in some places several inches thick, coated the once-bright white sand of Moreton Island, Bribie Island and large parts of the Sunshine Coast, near Brisbane.

The oil, which leaked from a ship damaged in high seas during the recent tropical cyclone Hamish, spread to almost 40 miles of coast, endangering wildlife, marine life, national parks and precious reefs.


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The Hong Kong-registered Pacific Adventurer, which suffered a pierced hull when it lost 31 containers in bad weather, can hold up to 500,000 tonnes of fuel. It is not known how much has leaked from the ship, which has been moved in to port in Brisbane for repairs.

The Sunshine coast is one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations with several major resort towns located not far from the spill area. Moreton and Bribie islands, which attract thousands of tourists each year, are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species and are classified as national parks.

The number of animals injured by the oil spill is expected to rise sharply in the coming days and pelicans, turtles and small birds have been moved from the islands to a cleaning centre on the mainland.

There were also fears that the spill could affect the marine food chain, and fishing companies have been warned their catches will face testing in the coming weeks.

About 130 people are raking up oil-coated sand and trying to prevent the oil from spreading into mangroves and river systems, but the Queensland state opposition have branded the state government's reaction to the incident too slow.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh defended the response and said the slick may be "the worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen".

"You don't walk in on day one and take all of the sand off the beach only to have more oil overnight coming in on the tide necessitating more sand be taken off on the second and the third day," she said.

"These are sensitive environments and you need to be systematic and clear it with almost military precision."

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is investigating the oil spill and could levy fines on the ship's operators. It is estimated the ship's owners, British firm Swire Shipping, could be liable to pay $250m for damage to the shoreline.

The Pacific Adventurer was damaged when it lost 31 containers of toxic fertiliser ammonium nitrate during the storm.

If the containers, which have since sunk to the ocean floor, leak it could cause major algae blooms which would choke marine life.

The oil slick is the latest blow to Australia's natural environment this year. In the last three months the country has suffered devastating bush fires in the south and severe flooding in the north and east. At least 210 people died in Victoria in February when fierce bush fires swept through towns and countryside. Communities in northern Queensland and New South Wales are still recovering from heavy rains that cut off entire towns for weeks.

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