France battles to contain oil spill at high sea
After a cargo ship sank, French and Spanish specialists are scrambling to tackle an oil spill in the Bay of Biscay. It's crucial to prevent the oil spill from reaching the coast, but what exactly needs to be done?
A thick layer of oil threatens the coast
On March 12, the Italian cargo ship Grande America sank in the Atlantic, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) off the French coast. Luckily, all 27 people on board were rescued. But the cargo, which was on its way from Hamburg to Casablanca, included 2,000 vehicles, 2,200 tons of fuel and 45 containers of "hazardous materials," creating a toxic oil slick which is now threatening the coast.
Still leaking from the depths
The cargo ship now lies at a depth of around 4,500 meters, but it continues to leak oil. Eneko Aierbe from the Spanish environmental group Ecologistas en Accion told DW that authorities should invest all their efforts into stopping the oil from reaching coastal areas in both France and Spain, where it would severely impact wildlife and ecosystems and create a much worse disaster.
A race against time
Oil floats on the surface of the ocean because it has a lower density than water. So authorities need to capture the oil before it disperses. But bad weather conditions have led to delays. After several days, Spanish and French authorities were eventually able to deploy so-called booms — floating barriers that prevent oil from spreading — as part of the first steps in the clean-up process.
New life for wasted oil
Once the oil was contained, boats equipped with "skimmer" devices recovered the oil and carried it to the port of the coastal city of La Rochelle. It will eventually be analyzed and classified to kick-start the recycling process. If done correctly, the oil could be used again. Local maritime authorities told DW that security measures are currently in place to minimize pollution.
The first victims
So far, two birds have been directly killed by the oil spill from the Grande America. One was found already dead on a French beach. The other was still alive and was taken to a wildlife care center, but it sadly didn't survive. However, wildlife health experts say that the actual impact of the oil spill on wildlife remains unknown. Hopefully these two victims remain isolated cases.
Never again
The changing winds mean the direction the spill is traveling is unclear. But it seems to be moving toward the Spanish coast. Authorities along the Bay of Biscay told DW they're ready to act. Meanwhile, environmentalists are calling for more resources to accelerate the clean-up. Antidia Citores from the NGO Surfrider told DW they're demanding stronger regulations so this won't happen again.