TALLINN - The operation to clean up an oil spill in Tallinn's Muuga harbor last weekend has cost the state two million kroons ($108,700) and caused undetermined environmental damage.
The spill, from the Greek tanker Alambra, occurred in the port located about 10 km outside of Tallinn on Sept. 16. Rescuers have been busy pumping oil from the sea ever since.
Pollution has even seeped onto the coastline along the tip of the Viimsi peninsula, where Estonian President Lennart Meri lives, according to BNS news agency.
Erik Sakkov, vice president of the Port of Tallinn, said a week after the spill that about 240 tons of heavy oil had been collected from the sea. The cleanup could take months to complete, he said, though the bulk of the operation should end within days. Help was also requested from a Finnish ship. It arrived late Sept. 20 to assist in the cleanup, but is not being used, said Sakkov.
"We are using our own technology right now," said Sakkov. "It is not a very complicated process." Steam from the rescue ships is being utilized to heat the oil, making it easier to pump, he explained.
The cause of the spill is still being investigated. "There are two theories. One is that it was an extremely stupid mistake by one of the crew who pushed a wrong button. The other is that there is a hole in the bottom, which is now covered by oil," Sakkov said.
Divers were waiting until the winds died down before examining the ship's hull to find out how much oil was left and if there is a hole in the structure, he said.
Diving down in the polluted waters is a fairly dangerous task, said Tonis Pajo, deputy head of the rescue operation, as in some places the layer of oil is half a meter thick. "If a diver became stuck it would be life-threatening," he said.
Pajo said there is no doubt that the Alambra was the source of the spill, which occurred about 14 meters below the surface.
The captain and crew of the 285 meter-long Alambra, which sails under a Maltese flag, have remained on board the ship. The ship cannot leave port until it is released by Estonian officials, Pajo explained. He would not comment on the exact cause of the accident, but confirmed that the crew were responsible.
Estonia's Environmental Inspectorate is conducting an investigation into the incident as well as the ship's insurance company. If the Alambra's crew is proved to be at fault, Estonia will charge its owner, Starlady Marine Ltd., 270,000 kroons ($14,700) per ton of oil released by the tanker, Sakkov said.
The State Chancellery also called a meeting of the government's crisis committee because of the pollution on Sept. 20.
There is "minimal damage" to marine life in the harbor, Sakkov said. "The pollution was contained inside the harbor. Species are very small here. We cannot see any big damage."
But by Sept. 25 reports were circulating that the oil had spread to outlying areas, including the shore of the president's residence. Officials confirmed that one dead swan was found covered in oil. But there were not large quantities of poisoned fish and birds washing ashore.
Maret Merisaar, director of the Estonian Green Movement, questioned whether Estonian cleanup services are capable of dealing with such a disaster.
"If the Estonian side had been better equipped, the pollution would not have escaped from the port into the Gulf of Finland," she said.
Merisaar also questioned why such a ship had been allowed to enter the port in the first place.
"Probably the authorities in Amsterdam would not let such a dirty and rusty vessel into their port at all," she said. "The Estonian side should think about how to check the sea-worthiness of vessels entering our ports and set criteria for those wanting to come in here."
This is the first oil spill in the Muuga port, which opened in 1987, said Sakkov.
Please enter your username and password.
2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy
