Reuters AlertNet Lite - Small oil spill from tanker hits Italian coast

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Small oil spill from tanker hits Italian coast

19 Mar 2007 17:13:41 GMT
Source: Reuters

ROME, March 19 (Reuters) - A tanker carrying liquid chemicals has spilt 9 tonnes of oil from a leaking fuel tank, some of which washed up onto Italy's Tuscan coast, the coastguard said on Monday.

The tanker spilled oil into the sea off Livorno, a port city on Italy's west coast, according to the Environment Ministry.

None of the ship's cargo of 4,750 tonnes of toxic styrene was reported to have been spilled.

"Unfortunately some of the slick hit the coast," a coastguard official said.

High winds and rain had hampered attempts to contain the spill.

"We tried to intervene but what with the sea conditions there was little we could do."

The ship, the Panama-flagged Chem Star, was able to enter Livorno's port, he said.

It was not immediately clear how much environmental damage had been caused. When the oil tanker Prestige sank off Spain in November 2002 about 64,000 tonnes of fuel oil leaked causing severe habitat damage to beaches in France, Spain and Portugal.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Panama profile
· View map

MORE >>

Latest news

• Small oil spill from tanker hits Italian coast

• Kidnapped Italian journalist freed in Afghanistan

• Italian journalist freed in Afghanistan

• Italian reporter freed in Afghanistan-Italy govt

• Italian reporter freed in Afghanistan-Italy govt

MORE >>

Last updated:Mon Mar 19 17:24:22 2007