Subscribe to RSSRena Still Leaking OIl
Maritime NZ National On Scene Commander Rob Service said Rena remains a complex operation.
“There is still oil on the Rena, and small amounts will continue to leak out of the ship as it was badly damaged.
“There is still some residual oil in the fuel tanks, the duct keel and other parts of the ship that the salvors haven’t been able to reach. There is a risk that more oil could be lost from those areas if the vessel’s condition changes. A sheen of oil was again visible this morning extending from the vessel.
Mr Service said a sheen of oil extending from the vessel was monitored daily by trained observers.
“Our observers look for patches of darker oil which indicate higher volumes of oil in the water. They are also monitoring the direction of the oil to ensure we are ready for any fresh oil reaching the shore.”
Mr Service said the sheen had remained around the vessel stretching in an offshore direction for weeks now.
“We are reviewing our plans to ensure we are able to maintain the level of equipment and personnel to deal with a whole range of possible scenarios into the next few weeks, and over Christmas.
Meanwhile, 26 containers were removed from the ship yesterday. The total number of containers removed is now 145. Favourable weather conditions are expected to continue today.
Lifting containers off he Rena | MNZ
Another 38 clean little blue penguins were released at Mt Maunganui in the last 24 hours, joining 56 other birds released to return to their normal nesting grounds following the grounding of theRena.
Four penguins were released to their usual habitat at Waihī Beach on Saturday, and the last two shags still at the Te Maunga Wildlife centre were also released at Mt Maunganui over the weekend.
Team Co-ordinator Kerri Morgan said about 240 penguins are still at the Wildlife Centre while their habitats are checked to ensure they are clean enough to return them to. With no oiled birds found in the last couple of weeks, intake sections of the Wildlife Centre are being “minimised” but can be ramped up quickly if there is another spill, she said.
“Only a small number of oiled birds have been found in the last few weeks, but we are still looking,” she said.
All birds released went through a thorough process of having blood taken and ensuring they were able to pass their six hour continuous swimming test, as well as having the salt in their swimming pools increased to ensure they could tolerate returning to salt sea water.
On Saturday night a team searched the Mt Maunganui area and checked 87 birds, which were not oiled, microchipping all those found so they could be monitored. The birds provide an opportunity to study two populations of penguins over the next few years – those that have been rehabilitated and released, and those unaffected by oil.
“We will be able to follow them to see what happens to breeding patterns and other factors.”
To date, 150 birds have been microchipped and released, and a team is headed to Rabbit Islandtoday to do a post-release survey of the released birds to see if they have returned to their usual homes.
“These birds have high ‘site fidelity’, which is why we can’t release them until their habitat is cleaned.”
Forty-three New Zealand dotterels are still captive at the Wildlife Centre, after 17 were released on Friday. The remaining birds’ habitat still has to be cleared before they can be returned.
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Prior to the election we were told the disaster was over and all the oil was off the Rena. Given how much oil was stated to have been on board earlier, and given the rate it had been pumped out at, it did seem a fantastic job had been done of speeding up its removal.
Sadly, now after the election we are told there is still oil in there and the ship is surrounded by an oil slick. Furthermore, there might be more oil washed up on the beaches.
I cannot help but wonder whether without the election more time might have been spent on getting the last of it, rather than simply declaring it “mission accomplished”.
Funny how the story changes on the Monday after the election.