No cause for alarm after oil spill on lough ferry

No cause for alarm after oil spill on lough ferry

14 November 2012

A QUANTITY of diesel spilled into Strangford Lough last Friday morning as a ferry was being refuelled.

The incident happened on the Strangford side of the internationally acclaimed waterway, with the Roads Service suggesting that while a total of 100 litres of diesel was spilled, only a small amount went into the lough.

The MV Strangford was the vessel at the centre of the drama with roads officials claiming the bulk of the fuel spilt on the deck of the ferry and was soaked up using special absorbent mats.

The Roads Service described the impact the quantity of diesel which ended up in the water had on the environment as “minimal.”

A spokeswoman for the organisation said last week’s incident was reported to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Environment Agency whose officials both visited Strangford harbour. 

“Initial assessments suggest environmental implications are likely to be minimal, due to the quantity and nature of the fuel oil which dispersed and broke up very quickly,” she added.

Strangford councillor Gareth Sharvin has welcomed the quick response to deal with the spillage. He said the Environment Agency and Maritime and Coastguard Agency used standard procedures to address what happened last Friday morning.

He said the Environment Agency also instructed a water quality inspector to investigate the incident and assess the potential environmental impact on Strangford Lough.

“The response from both agencies showed how serious they both took this matter. I have 

been informed that the majority of the diesel spilled on to the deck of the ferry, with the vessel’s crew working hard to contain the fuel.

“A small quantity of diesel was discharged into the lough and a specialist contractor was detailed to carry out any further work deemed necessary to help limit possible effects on fish and wildlife.”

Councillor Sharvin also praised Environment Agency officials for making contact with shellfish farmers and other fishery officials to inform them about the diesel spill, keeping them up-to-date about what was being done to deal with the situation.