Rena’s Captain Charged Over New Zealand Oil Spill
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October 12, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Police arrest captain as more oil reaches New Zealand shores. It is the “worst environmental disaster in decades”, says minister.
The captain of a container ship stranded on the Astrolable Reef has been arrested and charged by the New Zealand police.
The captain, who remains unnamed, has bee charged with “operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk”. He faces up to 12 months imprisonment and a fine of $7,800 (£5,000) if convicted.
The captain appeared in court on Wednesday morning following his alleged breach of section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act. He has since been granted bail by Judge Robert Wolff but is expected back in court next week.
According to reports, he must make daily reports to local authorities and remain at a specific nominated address. The captain’s passport has also been confiscated, say officials.
The 775ft (236m) cargo ship, Rena, struck the Astrolabe Reef last
Wednesday, causing clumps of oil to wash up on the eastern shores of New Zealand. It is currently stranded at 12 nautical miles off the coast, however many fear the ship could break in bad weather.
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) announced that 70 containers have fallen off the ship on Tuesday, with as much as 350 tonnes of oil spilling into the ocean.
Environment minister Nick Smith describes the incident as “New Zealand’s worst environmental disaster in many decades”. Teams are now working on clean-up operations as oil has washed ashore beaches and affected wildlife.
According to the MNZ, Rena is carrying 11 containers of hazardous materials, including the flammable ferrosilicon; however, reports confirm that all 11 containers remain onboard.
Officials fear that the situation could get worse over the next few days, as more than 1,368 containers are expected to fall into the ocean as more bad weather is expected.
It remains unclear as to how the ship struck the reef, but investigations are underway.
By Catherine Rees
[Image courtesy of jdnx]
