Clean-up operations begin following oil spill from container ship

A pollution response team has begun clean-up operations at a major oil spill on Moreton Island’s eastern shoreline resulting from yesterday’s incident involving the container ship Pacific Adventurer.

Transport Minister John Mickel said about 30 personnel had been involved in assessing the impact of the spill on a 10 kilometre stretch of beachfront from Cape Moreton to Blue Lagoon.

These included experts from Maritime Safety Queensland, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Port of Brisbane Corporation and the Brisbane City Council.

“Those numbers are expected to be boosted to about 50 personnel by late today as the clean-up operation gears up,” Mr Mickel said.

“We have also sought and gained additional resources from the National Response Team who will provide skilled foreshore clean-up team leaders.”

It is expected about 30 campers will be evacuated from a site at North Point by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service who have enlisted Queensland Police assistance to restrict all private vehicle movement on the island to limit the spread of contaminants.

They are also monitoring any effect the oil spill will have on wildlife.

“At this stage Maritime Safety Queensland has not been notified of any extensive oil contamination of wildlife. However, the potential hazard remains significant,” Mr Mickel said.

Maritime Safety Queensland General Manager, Captain John Watkinson, said an oiled wildlife response plan had been developed to deal with the consequences of the spill.

On the Sunshine Coast the outgoing tide has revealed an extensive oil film along beaches from Mudjimba to Coolum and from Point Cartwright to Kawana.

Local council clean-up crews are responding with the assistance and guidance of Maritime Safety Queensland.

“Maritime Safety Queensland is continuing to conduct aerial surveillance and tracking the movement of the oil slick released from the Pacific Adventurer early yesterday morning,” Captain Watkinson said.

The ship, which lost 30 shipping containers of ammonium nitrate in heavy seas during the incident, is presently berthed at Fishermen Islands wharf where its remaining cargo of 19 containers have been offloaded and moved to a safe storage site.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is conducting an assessment of the vessel before any further movement is permitted.

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