Oil From Tanker Hits Coast
Danish authorities said that half the oil from the tanker which collided with a freighter in the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany on Wednesday evening had hit the Danish coast. Around 1,000-1,500 tons of heavy heating oil had reached the shores of the southeastern Danish islands Moen and Bogoe, spreading pollution over approximately 30 km (19 miles), a police spokesman in charge of the clean-up operation told Reuters on Friday night. "We have the oil under control but the estimate for the amount of oil leaked has been increased and we intend to reinforce our clean-up efforts tomorrow," he said. Extra manpower and machinery would be brought to the site on Saturday, he added.
Oil Slick Threatens Danish Coast
Massive oil slicks threatened to pollute the Danish coast on Thursday after a tanker collided with a freighter in the Baltic Sea, creating one of the biggest oil leaks ever to foul Danish waters. "The leak is one of the biggest we have seen. We are preparing to prevent oil pollution hitting the Danish coast," a coastguard spokesman said. Six ships from Denmark, Germany and Sweden were on their way to try to contain the oil, coastguards said. The tanker, en route to Gothenburg, Sweden with a cargo from Estonia, leaked more than 1,500 tons of heavy heating oil after the collision that occurred between Germany and Denmark, officials said.
Baltic Nations to Focus on Maritime Safety
Germany called on Wednesday for nations bordering the Baltic Sea to boost maritime safety to avoid accidents such as last week's tanker collision, which led to an oil spill off the Danish coast. Foreign ministers from the Baltic region meeting in Hamburg on June 7 should make environmental protection and shipping safety a focus of talks, Germany's Foreign Ministry said. "In particular, the German government backs speeding up the introduction of double-hulled tankers, the speedy introduction of satellite-supported positioning observation systems and the organization of harbor and piloting fees dependant on fulfilling environmental standards," the ministry said. It also called for an improvement of search and rescue systems.
