THE IRISH Coast Guard will mount a joint surveillance operation with its British counterpart today, following the discovery of an oil spill off the west Cork coast.
The authorities believe that two Russian naval vessels were refuelling when the spill occurred.
An estimated 300 tonnes of oil was spilled in the incident which occurred 80km (50 miles) south of Fastnet. The oil then spread over an area measuring 6km by 8km. The spill did not happen in Irish waters but was within the zone around the Irish coastline being monitored for pollution by the Irish authorities
It is not clear when the spill happened, but the alarm was raised on Saturday morning when the Irish Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre received satellite images which indicated a pollution incident.
The images are routinely received because Ireland is a member of the satellite surveillance programme run by the European Maritime Safety Agency.
An Irish Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to investigate the matter. A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said early reports that suggested a collision between two nuclear ships were false. “No collision took place. None of the vessels involved are nuclear,” she said.
“The incident possibly occurred as a result of a refuelling operation. The Irish Coast Guard are in contact with the Russian authorities and are monitoring the spill which is breaking up.”
Based on the weather conditions, it was not expected that any oil would reach Irish land, she said, but the situation was being monitored closely.
The joint surveillance operation by the Irish and British Coast Guard services will get under way this morning. Its findings will dictate how the clean-up operation will proceed.
Friends of the Earth has called for a full investigation into the incident. Its spokesman Oisín Coughlan said this was a “significant spill” off the Irish coast and it would certainly cause serious damage to marine life.
“The environmental impact could worsen if the oil reaches offshore islands or the west Cork coast,” he warned. He called for full co-operation from the Russian authorities in any investigation by the Irish agencies.
