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Huge Oil Slick News

18 Dec 2000

Sunken Tanker in State of Corrosion

The Maltese-registered tanker Erika, which sank off the French coast a year ago releasing a huge oil slick, was in a state of more or less advanced corrosion, the official disaster report said. "The vessel would not have fallen apart if it had been as seaworthy as it was claimed to be by classification societies as late as 20 days before it broke up on December 12, 1999, the report said. There was excessive corrosion, beyond norms that are considered acceptable by classification societies and the sub-standard welding was noted on the ship. Erika broke in half in stormy seas, spewing up to 15,000 tons of oil onto the rocky shoreline of western France. The two sections of the ship lie on the seabed about 70 km (40 miles) offshore.

30 Mar 2001

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.