Asia/Pacific News
Weather Impedes Clean Up of Thai Bunker Spill
Due to high winds and waves, Thailand's Marine Department Sunday said it was unable to proceed with cleanup efforts for a bunker spill from the now sunken cruise liner Ocean Dream off Koh Nok in the Si Racha district, local media reports.
The vessel, which is reported to be managed by Shanghai Eastime Ship Management and had been abandoned since March 2014, is said to have capsized Saturday around 1 p.m. local time after it began taking on water through a leak that had sprung in its worn steel.
Leaking oil is reported to have caused a thin film on the water's surface, covering an area of about 5.2 square kilometres behind the vessel, evading oil booms as a result of the high winds.
With winds pushing the spill away from the coast, marine officials are reported to have used 300 litres of chemical dispersants to break up the spill, and announced plans to examine the ship in order to locate and stop the leak.
It is reported that authorities are investigating the incident and have plans to file a lawsuit against the shipowner for the costs of clean up and wreck removal.
The Chinese owners of the Panamanian-flagged vessel are said to have been asked by authorities to remove the vessel since March 2014, but no response was received from the owners.
Last week, BIMCO announced that it has begun work with the International Spill Control Organisation (ISCO) toward the development of a standard contract for hiring of spill response services and equipment, intended for use by shipowners who have had a spill caused by one of their vessels and need to hire a contractor to perform clean-up services.
