Oil spill cleanup nears completion
Solomon Islands office of Environment and Conservation Division officers during the clean up.
Resolve Marine Group is now taking full control of the oil spill response inside the Lughu Bay of West Rennell.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) handed over their offshore recovery tactic to grounded vessel’s contractor after their relieve work has been satisfactorily completed.
Thanks to Australia and New Zealand Government at the request of the Solomon Islands government on 16th February to set up and do relieve work to speed up the containment of surface oil.
A government statement today said, AMSA draws down their off-shore clean-up activities on 21st March.
As observed by local authorities, AMSA has done quite an exceptional execution of its contingency plans two weeks after the oil spill started oozing from the grounded bulk carrier “Solomon Trader.”
The authorities have achieved major part of the on-surface oil removal.
With the employment of the current buster method, AMSA has managed to scoop thousand gallons of floating oil components.
The recovered oils were then pumped into storage tanks awaiting decontamination process.
Location and coordination of the off-shore work is supported by helicopter fly-overs to trace and pinpoint the concentration, sheens and behaviour of the oil in and outside of the bay.
Resolve contracted by insurer and owner Korea Protection and Indemnity Club (KP&I) now has all their necessary equipment on-site, and continues with the off-shore clean-up, shoreline and salvaging.
The Government maintained a daily assessment of the shoreline and off-shore clean-up and salvaging through the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to ensure the operation is expedited as much as possible.
By: Fred Osifelo.