British Shipwreck Menaces World Heritage Devon Coast

LONDON, UK, January 22, 2007 (ENS) - Oil spilling from a cargo vessel grounded on the Cornish coast near a World Heritage Site and the threat of hazardous chemicals escaping from containers flung into the water as heavy gales hit the broken ship have British Coastguard, emergency and environmental personnel on high alert today.

The British-flagged container ship MSC Napoli lost power during a gale in the English Channel Thursday, when the engine room flooded more than 40 miles from the Cornish coast.

All 26 crewmembers were lifted unharmed by Royal Navy rescue helicopters as they abandoned the ship in 40 foot seas and 70 mile per hour winds.

After the rescue operation had finished the drifting vessel was secured and was being towed to Portland for salvage, but the Maritime And Coastguard Agency, MCA, decided to beach it Sunday in Lyme Bay, near Sidmouth, following a serious structural failure.

A Coastguard vessel tends the stricken MSC Napoli as it lists in heavy wather in Lyme Bay on the Cornish coast. (Photo courtesy Dave Mitchell)

The 62,000 metric ton MSC Napoli is carrying 2,323 containers, 158 of which are classed as hazardous. The vessel was heading from Belgium to Portugal when it was caught in the gale.

Anti-pollution teams are on standby although the Maritime And Coastguard Agency does not believe any of the containers containing industrial and agricultural chemicals were dislodged overnight.

An Environment Group has been set up and its members include representatives from Devon Council, Natural World England, Environment Agency, Fisheries and Heath and Protection Agency who are presently looking at prioritizing sites of protection.

Up to 200 metric tons of oil from the ship's ruptured fuel tank has leaked near an area which forms part of a World Heritage Site. Some sea birds have already been found covered in oil, said Grahame Madge of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

A sea bird oiled by the Napoli spill (Photo courtesy Dave Mitchell)

The area around Lyme Bay is part of a World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast, named for its Jurassic geology. The coast of Lyme Bay is a popular holiday destination, and the diving off Lyme Bay is famous. The marine life is some of the best in Britain with rare corals inhabiting the reefs.

The Environment Agency said booms have been put in place to prevent harm to wildlife. A Temporary Danger Area has been set up around the vessel extending to a range of three miles and 2,000 feet.

Under the Sidmouth Cliffs, area residents watch the Napoli in Lyme Bay. (Photo courtesy Dave Mitchell)

Middleton said that the environmental sensitivities in the Lyme Bay area were fully assessed before the decision to beach the Napoli was made.

He said, "The beaching location was selected based on minimizing the impact of any spillage and enabling salvage work to remove the vessel and cargo to take place. The local authorities and environmental groups have been notified and all agencies are working together to ensure that pollution is minimized."

The ship was towed in by the French tug Abeilles Bourbon, with the MCA tug Anglian Princess escorting.

A broken container from the Napoli on the beach in Lyme Bay. (Photo courtesy Dave Mitchell)

But on Sunday, the MCA described the ship's condition as "stable," saying the vessel continues to have a list of 25 degrees during high water reducing to 18 degrees during low water.

The ship's owners have appointed a private security company to guard the beached containers. The owners have also appointed a contractor to corral and remove those spilled containers, and that contractor will mobilize to site later today and recovery will begin on Tuesday.

Smit International, the contracted salvors, are mobilizing maritime salvage equipment from Holland to Lyme Bay. The salvors are planning for the recovery of the oils remaining onboard to begin tomorrow.

"X" marks the approximate location of the Napoli in Lyme Bay. (Map courtesy CIA World Factbook)

A barge was chartered in Rotterdam and is currently being fitted with two cranes capable of lifting 500 and 400 tons.

Following an inspection by salvors it was confirmed today that the oil released from the beached vessel came from the engine spaces at the time of beaching and that no fresh oil has been spotted in the water. The sheen of used oils now extending up to four miles before dissipating.

Julian Wardlaw, environment management team leader for the Environment Agency, told the BBC that oil lost from the tanker posed a "serious risk" to a sensitive coastline. Although there is the potential for "a lot of damage," it so far seemes to be limited, Wardlaw said.

The 16 year old vessel is registered to London, and was last seen by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in May 2005 when officials said it met safety standards.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the incident.