A disastrous spill, likely to involve 100,000 litres of oil, is covering more than 60km of beaches north of Brisbane today. This is five times the amount of oil first reported, according to the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Many beaches from Moreton and Bribie Islands and the Sunshine Coast tourist strip are affected by the sludge, described as two inches thick in places, and smelling of diesel. Many of the affected areas were formerly near to pristine, with much wild life, including dugongs.
The Evironment Protection Authority is calling for volunteers to help with the situation by calling 1300 130372. However, they are warning that people should not approach the toxic polluted area individually.
The full impact of this is only just becoming understood.
A report from SBS World News Australia
The oil leaked from a container ship called the Pacific Adventurer on Wednesday, as it moved into dangerous seas whipped up by Tropical Cyclone Hamish.
The ship's cargo of 31 containers, many filled with the toxic chemical ammonium nitrate fertiliser, was swept overboard piercing the ship's fuel tanks as it fell. The containers themselves have not been found and it is concerning that they may leach nitrogen, creating further huge problems for the environment.
Large seas are spreading the oil further. The area has now been declared a disaster zone, and clean up teams have moved in.
Some of the events leading up to this disaster are described in my post about the effects of Hamish.
This tragedy is occurring 130km north of my home, and pictures I have featured recently of my local beaches are reminiscent of the area now covered in oil.
It is likely that the captain and the owner of the Pacific Adventurer, registered in Hong Kong, will face charges as a result of the accident.
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10 months ago
We have landed in a sad situation here,what is happening to this land of plenty ?
ReplyDelete.....what is next..
You do wonder MONA.
ReplyDeleteThey say bad things happen in three's....so now the universe will STOP and hopefully your beloved country is done with the tragedies and catastrophies!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteYes please Retired One. And then there is the global recession ...
ReplyDeleteLet's all make ourselves a cuppa and eat chocolate cake.
this has not hit our news stations here yet (usa), no doubt tomorrow's will have details. It is a crying shame, the effects last long after the spillage has been "cleaned up", and the wildlife never fully returns to "normal".
ReplyDeletethe beach is my heaven on earth, so can relate.
So sorry for you to have to witness this.
Hello TINK
ReplyDeleteI think the full meaning of this is only just beginning to sink in. Tragic.
Its such a terrible thing June. Wonder what the real story is and why it happened. Everyone would have been aware of the weather but they chose to go out it in. They will be fined heavily I imagine but it wont make up for the damages.
ReplyDeleteIt will be an interesting story I think LILLY. With the Queensland election approaching as well ... whatever, it will be politicised.
ReplyDeleteHow could anyone have given the ship the authority to go out in that weather? Or did anyone do that?
Above all, of course, the damage to the environment is just so sad and, as Tink says, there are bound to be long term effects.
Gee - first time here and after a quick look I see wildfire, storms, oil spills.
ReplyDeleteIs this a disaster blog?
Sorry to hear about the problems and wish you the best.
My request is very minor but maybe it will take you mind off disasters. I posted a question about memories and events and was hoping you might take a look. Oh it's my "A few clowns short" blog
thanks
Well June it's Friday the 13th....
ReplyDeleteI will run over to Sunshine beach and take a look later.
I love the way you write. I am sorry you are in these disasters...I hope there is not a third
ReplyDeleteLinda
It seems as if there is just one catastrophe after another! Do you think perhaps the universe is trying to tell us something??? I'm so sorry to hear of still more disasters in Australia. I hold good thoughts for all of you! Thanks for keeping us updated.
ReplyDeleteLet's subscribe to the "three's" theory and let this be the end of these disasters. This is too much! My thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeleteHi LISLEMAN
ReplyDeleteI did take a look at your blog thanks.
I do see that your visit here was short lived - there's a lot more than disaster here.
The point at the moment is that (most unusually)terrible things have happened in Oz in recent weeks. Sorry if life is not full of laughs all of the time.
Cheers
June
G'day Delwyn
ReplyDeleteI do hope you find that Sunshine Beach has escaped the oil.
It's all got to stop now LINDA. No more.
ReplyDeleteHi SYLVIA
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing string of happenings isn't it?
JOY
ReplyDeleteYep - that's the end now! Everything plain sailing from now on ...
But if something else doeos happen, we must recognise the realities, deal with them - and then move on.
June
Oh no - how terrible for the environment and the wildlife - especially the birds and sea life...
ReplyDeleteOh Gosh, June! What's next? Nothing, I hope.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear what is happening to your beautiful beaches. It seems we hear nothing but bad news lately everywhere we turn. I am ready for some good news. Chocolate cake does sound good. Maybe, with some ice cream on it. Hugs, Judy
And sprinkles JUDY = agreed?
ReplyDeletehello Im new to your space...... only just got mine.............so im kinda new to blogspot too.........seven posts old????lol....Its sad when a disaster of this magnitude happens.....The losses are so huge they cant be measured...........
ReplyDeleteJune, thanks for dropping a comment on my blog. Really I do wish OZ all the best. There are too many sad things and the ones that trace back to human action or inaction are the worst.
ReplyDeleteWhere did the "OZ" come from? - I thought that was Kansas.
One more thought from the other day -
Lifting your spirit should be the easiest thing since it has no weight. Often the spirit just won't rise.
Luckysanjana
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. I enjoyed your colourful poem about the coming of spring, and good luck with the new blog.
LISLEMAN
ReplyDelete'Oz' here has nothing to do with Kansas or Judy Garland. It's a short form of 'Aussie' or Australian and we pronounce it with the 'z'.
Please don't think I'm clinically depressed, or anything like it. Also, I certainly don't want my blogging mates to be depressed either.
However, things are happening in this world that require recognition and action.
For instance the environment seems to be taking a battering right now - in Oz certainly. We have had four disasters in the last two months, completely leaving out effects of the global economy. Also, I didn't even count the earthquake (4 on the Richter scale) that hit a normally non-earthquake area.
I am a communicator (journalist et al for 57 years) and it's my way to talk about things I believe are important. That's all.
This is not a 'froth and bubble' blog, although we certainly do enjoy a hearty laugh.
Thanks for the good thoughts.
Cheers
June
My first time here too! Have met several Aussies since starting my blog.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your beautiful beaches and wildlife! I love the beach, almost think of the water as being sacred.
I willl come back.
Yes there are some great Aussie bloggers around Peggy. We don't all look like kangaroos either! I visited yours and will return.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen a thing about this disaster in the USA press yet. I'm going to have to hunt around for details. It breaks my heart to read about these kinds of spills. The animals of the sea have no idea of the things we do that befall them.
ReplyDeleteThis is so horrible and I am so sorry. I do hope that they are charged with and made an example of. Thank you June for sharing this with us as it hasn't been on our news.
ReplyDeleteHi, June, it seems like it's a tough row to hoe around your neck of the woods. Take care of you and yours and hope all things look up sooner rather than later in the land of Oz. Thanks for stopping by my blog again. If you saw a peek at my slide show, my Wild Child #2 was helping me with making homemade chicken noodle soup. I love cooking with them, it just never seems like I always have enough time. You are so right about people forgetting how to do a good home cooked meal.
ReplyDeleteHi ROBYN
ReplyDeleteIt is now known that at least 200,000 litres - 20 times the original amount of oil first admitted by the ship's captain - have spilled onto Queensland beaches.There is a full on effort to clean up, but teams are having problems on the remote and formerly almost pristine Moreton Island. They're trying to clean up by hand because they wish to disturb as little as possible, but also because heavy machinery can't get in there easily.
The damage to wildlife is bound to be beyond measure.
G'day LAURA
ReplyDeleteThey may be trying to keep it low key in the hope that the clean up will occur quickly, and not disturb the tourism industry too much.
Hello WILD CHILD
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm big on home cooking. It's cheaper and more tasty and nutritious. It's just a matter of getting into the swing - practice makes perfect. Really, there is no problem at all about putting together a salad, a stir fry, or steak and boiled veg. I can do the preparation for these meals in ten minutes. You can ring the changes and get more glamourous on week-ends. And it's fun.
Going out for a meal takes more time and money any day.
'My" beach has oil resude and sludge as I type. It's awful, the gulls and birds are slick and ill. We have a clean up brigade happening this weekend and we are all helping, but only with rakes and shovels.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I had coffee on Hastings St and we were watching the surfers and commenting that it was still clean there. I hope it stays that way.
Oh, June, I'm so very sorry to hear of more bad news your way. When it rains, it really pours, doesn't it?!
ReplyDeleteGrandson is home this weekend and we are making chocolate cupcakes for Sunday supper's dessert. We will have one for you and drink a toast to, say a prayer for, the indomitable peoples of Australia.
Best wishes,
Martha
Chocolate cupcakes MARTHA! Bliss.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't think of a better way of sending your heartfelt good wishes.
Have fun with Grandson.
Oh!! sorry to hear that, but lets hope things wont get worse....
ReplyDeleteGREENER BANGALORE
ReplyDeleteThey've discovered the amount of oil lost from the ship was 250,000 tonnes - many times that first admitted by the captain. His passport has been taken from him.
They're finding a lot more damage to the environment and animals, but the cleanup is going ahead apace. Oz will get through this too - although sadly diminished in this area in some ways.
I am sorry to hear that about your beautiful country and beautiful beaches. I hope the damage is very minimal, God bless you all.
ReplyDeleteKMS Thank you. And thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteCheers
June
June
ReplyDeletethanks for taking time answering the OZ question. I always learn things from the good blogs like yours.
Will the cooler weather coming help things much?
All the best.
LISLEMAN
ReplyDeleteCertainly so far as the fires are concerned the cooler weather has been extremely helpful and all of the big fires are now out. The rebuilding is now beginning.
Cheers
June
I have family in Australia, but none of them writers so I never find out any news like this from them. I was following the fires, but I never heard or saw this latest disaster! :-( Prayers to all involved in all the recent tragedies.
ReplyDeleteHi again Michelle.
ReplyDeleteI think the world didn't learn too much about this for a couple of reasons: it was not obvious that it was so widespread, for the ship's captain apparently admitted to about a tenth of the oil that was actually spilled. However, while saying that, it is not the biggest oil spill around, even though very damaging.
Secondly, and maybe I'm being cynical here - the area affected has a huge tourist industry. The reality is I think that tourists will still find many beautiful places to visit, so there's no reason to put off any planned holidays.
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