Rena Latest: Oil Transfer Tomorrow?

in General by Jon C — October 14, 2011 at 10:11 pm | 1 comment

The Awanuia crew has been undertaking a load of rehearsals to ensure they are ready to get close to the Rena safely to transfer the oil.

This may begin as early as tomorrow.

Maritime NZ says the oil is now cold, and dense and like marmite in consistency. The salvage crews have revised their plans to remove the oil as the vessel no longer has power.

It is believed there is still 1,346 tonnes of oil on board the vessel – 770 tonnes in the port 5 tank, 356 tonnes in the starboard 5 tank and 220 tonnes in the settling tanks. The vessel had 1,673 tonnes to begin with.

There is no evidence of any fresh discharges of oil today.

Salvage teams were winched on to the Rena this morning. The salvage team is attaching four platforms to the port side of the vessel. The platforms will provide a flat surface for fuel pumping operations from the port tanks.

 

Other updates:

• The total of dead birds has now reached 1000. There are a total of 92 oiled birds at the wildlife facility being cared for.
• The salvage company, Svitzer has identified 35 of the 88 containers that have fallen overboard, and 14 have been recovered
• Tomorrow it’s hoped there will be 1,000 people doing clean-up work across seven locations.
• A total of 376 tonnes of waste has now been taken to the transfer station. The waste is being collected by two companies working through a consented waste management plan.

Authorities warn that some people in the vicinity may experience some physical discomfort from the oil. They are advised to shut windows and avoid the immediate vicinity of the beaches and all immediate or secondary contact with the oil spillage.

Beach access is restricted between Mount Maunganui and Maketu Point, including the Maketu Estuary. This is to minimise as much as possible further environmental damage.

Recreational boaters have been told to take care when in and around Waipu Bay and Waikereao Estuary. There are booms in both locations to minimise the impact of the oil spill. he Waipu Bay boom extends across the mouth of the inner harbour from the boat ramp to the Tauranga Bridge marina.
There are two booms in place in Waikeraro Estuary near the Tauranga underwater club. The booms are bright orange and will be visible during daylight hours. Caution should be exercised when there is low light and at night.

Tags: Oil spill Rena