Greenpeace have expressed serious concerns about the threat to marine life posed by the cargoes and bunker fuel of both the chemical tanker and container ship that collided off the Yorkshire coast close to environmentally sensitive areas.
According to the Humber Coastguard, the chemical tanker Stena Immaculate was carrying jet fuel that may now be leaking into the North Sea. At the same time, according to Lloyds List intelligence, the cargo ship was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, a highly toxic chemical, and the integrity of the cargoes overall is unknown. Concerns also remain about other substances which could be released, including the heavier fuel oils used to power the ships.
The most recent data from ship tracking site MarineTraffic reported the tanker as being “partially laden” when it was hit by the cargo ship, and information from Bloomberg/Kepler shows that the tanker was holding 140,000 barrels of jet fuel while at anchor near Hull.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, jet fuels are toxic to marine life: “Aquatic organisms that come in direct contact with naturally dispersed and entrained jet fuel in the water column may be killed. However, small spills in open water may not result in fish kills.”
The incident took place near a known breeding area for harbour porpoises as well as nature reserves and sites of special scientific interest.
Commenting on the ongoing situation, Dr Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said:
“As more information emerges about what the ships were carrying, we are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards these chemicals could pose to marine life. The jet fuel that entered the water close to a breeding ground for harbour porpoises is toxic to fish and other sea creatures. While we don’t know about the status of the containers holding sodium cyanide, we’re dealing with a highly toxic chemical that could cause serious harm. Any release of bunker fuel could also pose serious risks to nearby nature sanctuaries. Authorities need to urgently assess the situation and put in place measures to contain the release of jet fuel and any other toxic substances from the two vessels where possible. We must hope an environmental disaster can be averted.”
