pollutie
There was a wide oil slick on the water on the Scheldt near the city center of Antwerp on Thursday morning. The origin of the pollution is not yet known, but it is already causing odor nuisance to local residents. Cleaning up the oil spill has now started near Burcht.
The oil slick on the Scheldt was previously noticed by the Rivierenland fire zone more southerly, and has now drifted as far as Antwerp.
The oil is now visible over the entire length of the city of Antwerp. “We cannot yet fully estimate how long the stain will be, because our drones are only allowed to fly above the area of the Antwerp fire zone.” In other words, the spot spreads even further on the Scheldt south of Antwerp, near Hemiksem.
Around noon, a ship from the Maritime Access service of the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works started sucking up the oil slick near Burcht. An operation that will take some time.
The fire brigade describes the stain as “a thin film on the water with holes in it”. Due to the opposing movement of the wind and the current, the spot continues to move in different directions.
It is not yet clear whether this concerns a loss or discharge from a ship or from a company. “There are various avenues that are being investigated,” says Neyrinck. “We do this with various partners, such as the shipping police, the city, the Vlaamse Waterweg and the environmental service. We must first find the cause before we can tackle the problem.” According to the latest information, it could be a fuel oil smell. The spot itself does not seem to be getting any bigger.
The oil slick will have no impact on shipping traffic for the time being. “That of course ensures that ships continue to sail and that the oil slick spreads further.”
It is too early to estimate the impact on fauna, flora and the living environment. “For the time being, we can only detect odor nuisance. So far we have only received complaints from people who live close to the Scheldt,” says Neyrinck.
The fire brigade emphasizes that residents should no longer call the emergency number 112 for odor nuisance.
