UK Oil Spill:Prime Example of Industry Irresponsibility

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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               GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> NEW SPILL PRIME EXAMPLE OF OIL INDUSTRY IRRESPONSIBILITY:
GREENPEACE
 
LONDON, 16 February 1996 (GP) Today's oil spill from a tanker
grounded off the coast of Wales is the latest example of the
price of the world's reliance on oil and an irresponsible oil
industry, Greenpeace said today.  
 
The Liberian-flagged, Russian-crewed SEA EMPRESS which
grounded on rocks of the west coast of Wales last night,
pouring 6000 tonnes of North Sea medium to light crude oil
into the sea was a single-hulled supertanker built in 1993. 
Just four months ago a Norwegian tanker, the Berge, grounded
in the same place but spilled nothing, because it had the
safety net of a double-shelled hull. 
 
Greenpeace has been calling for oil companies to operate the
highest standards ships and has worked through the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to call for at least
double hulled ships.  
 
"The big oil companies hide behind foreign-flagged and crewed
vessels so as not to dirty their names when this type of spill
occurs," said Paul Horsman of Greenpeace International. "They
are also cutting costs by not using the safest type of ships
to minimise spills. This is what we have come to expect from
this industry -- corporate environmental image PR campaigns
coupled with cost cutting on safety and standards." 
 
Today's accident involved a tanker built in 1993 -- which
shows that even with modern-day tankers, spills still happen.
It is clear that the industry continues to regard
environmental accidents as an acceptable price to pay for oil.
As long as there is transportation and production of oil,
there will be spills.   
 
At any one time, there are 68 million tonnes of oil in ships
on the oceans -- about 7000 vessels are daily engaged in the
transportation of oil or its toxic byproducts.  
 
"This is just the latest in a long line of oil disasters.   It
also shows that the UK Government measures introduced after
the Braer Disaster in 1993 to contain the hazards of oil
transport, are inadequate.  The sooner we wean ourselves off
the addiction to fossil fuels and switch to cleaner energy
sources, the better the world's environment will be." 
 
The average worldwide figure of oil pouring into the oceans
from routine discharges and deliberate washing out of tanks is
about 2.5 million tonnes each year, while tanker spills total
about 150,000 tonnes a year. 
 
 
Greenpeace warned that accidents in this area are likely to
increase, as the UK Government has now opened up new areas of
exploration off the west coast of Wales and the UK, in
Cardigan Bay.  
 
The Sea Empress spill is significant because of its proximity
to the coastline of an area of high conservation value, with
seal colonies and rich in birdlife and local fisheries (see
below).  
                             ends
 
For information:  Cindy Baxter Greenpeace Communications ++44
171 833 0600. Paul Horsman Greenpeace International ++31 20
523 6270 or over the weekend on mobile phone:  ++31 65 323
5057.
 
FURTHER INFORMATION ON LOCAL WILDLIFE
 
Milford Haven is a beautiful area with a National Park and
bird nesting areas.  Recognised internationally for its
importance, it is a proposed Special Area of Conservation. 
 
At the nearby Skomer and Skokholm Islands off the coast there
are grey seal colonies, which will have pupped last November,
but  hopefully they should not be around at the moment.  Also
on the islands are seabird nesting sites.  We believe there
are about 15,000 auks (guillemots, puffins, razorbills) that
are rafting outside the Milford Haven Bay itself. 
 
At greatest risk are the thousands of wading birds (shelduck,
dunlin) and resident birds such as swans and duck which use
the bays of Milford Haven as feeding area. There also a risk
inside the bay itself to the 16,000 resident seabirds such as
cormorants, gulls.
  
Milford Haven is also a fishing port, with lobster and crab
fisheries locally, and other (mackerel) around the coast.
 
For further detail on local information please call:
 
Brian Elliott, Dyfed Wildlife Trust, (44) 1437 767 062
Mick Green, Friends of Cardigan Bay, (44) 1970 832625
Elizabeth Salter, Marine Conservation Society, (44) 1989 566
017
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