Ports authority working to contain pollution as slick increases
Various authorities are trying hard today to contain a spill of crude oil, in the early hours of this morning, close to the April 25 bridge.
The spill, involving hundreds of litres of fuel, originated in a refuelling operation, downstream from the bridge, between a Portuguese boat and one flying a Dutch flag.
According to a source from the Portuguese Navy, it is difficult at this point to say how much fuel was spilled. Some reports have talked off 400-litres, but this may be optimistic: various beaches have had to be closed, Oeiras Marina is also being affected – and the latest report by Lusa cites a source for Oeiras municipality admitting that the slick is “increasing”.
For now, Torre, Santo Amaro, Caxias and Paço de Arcos beaches have been closed to the public, with Oeiras city council’s facebook post suggesting the closures in some cases will be prolonged/ indefinite.
A pollution response team from Lisbon Port’s Authority has placed protective barriers around the two ships to contain and mitigate the effects of the spill, adds Lusa.
Ricardo Sá Granja, the press spokesman for the Navy and national maritime authority, confirms that this case has already been reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office while Maritime Police are conducting an investigation into the incident. ND
Source material: LUSA/ SIC Notícias/ Facebook – Oeiras Município
