Police and the fire service received a report on the night of Tuesday about a major spill of soybean oil from a company on Øra in Fredrikstad.
On Tuesday morning, the Denofa factory says that it is about 30,000 litres.
The spill was discovered just after midnight, and stopped 10 minutes later, they write in a press release.
The police initially believed that it was between 40,000 and 50,000 litres.
Denofa says that it is too early to say anything about the cause of the spill. The focus now is spreading limitation and clean-up, they write.
– So far it is not very dangerous for the environment, but it is dangerous for animals, especially birds when they get this on them, says task leader Jørn Krogfoss in Fredrikstad fire and rescue.
It will take a good deal of time to clean up the spill of soybean oil.
Photo: Rahand Bazaz / NRK
– That is why we have chosen to go hard and take action by both laying out different barriers with oil cleaners, to limit this towards a bird restaurant that we have nearby, he says.
– It should probably be between 40,000 and 50,000 liters of oil. The oil has leaked into Glomma, and threatens a bird sanctuary, says operations manager in the East police district Melissa Krag.
Birds can freeze to death
Cooking oil can be very dangerous for birds, says Jørn Bustgaard, intermunicipal emergency manager for Fredriksstad Blad. It sticks to the plumage, and makes the birds very vulnerable to fatal frostbite.
A large bilge that is permanently in readiness at the start of the Øra canal has been laid out.
He states that the focus now on the night of Tuesday is to limit the damage. The aim is to prevent the discharge from continuing with Glomma towards Hvaler.
The fire service informs NRK’s reporter at the scene that the measures they have taken so far have had a good effect.
Investigating the spill
The police are on the scene with a task leader and a unit that has started investigative work.
The police are coordinating the efforts of several people, says Svein Roger Lunde.
Photo: Rahand Bazaz / NRK
– We have started an investigation by having some preliminary conversations with those who have been at work here this evening and last night, and with those who have been on the production line, says Svein Roger Lunde, the police’s task leader in Øra on the night of Tuesday.
– Has there been an accident?
– I would say that it is an accident. Nobody does this here with intention and will, Lunde replies.
Demanding effort
– It is demanding, especially in the dark. We now operate both on land and out at sea with a boat, so it is demanding. In addition to the fact that there are some minus degrees now, says task leader Krogfoss from Fredrikstad fire and rescue.
The fire service is working to limit the damage, says Jørn Krogfoss.
Photo: Rahand Bazaz / NRK
There are several hours of work left, he says to NRK at around 03.15.
– The fire service has requisitioned several pumper trucks that will start pumping, and it has started with laying bilges in Glomma, says police operations manager Melissa Krag.
The fire service, the police, the Coastal Administration and the Industrial Protection Agency.
Photo: Rahand Bazaz / NRK
They also coordinate the measures that take place in collaboration with the fire service, police, the Coastal Administration and the Industrial Protection Agency on site. Municipal resources will of course also be notified of this, says Krag.
Important area for birds
The Øra nature reserve, at the outlet of the Glomma in Fredrikstad, has international status as a very important bird area, the municipality writes on its website.
Øra nature reserve is located in Fredrikstad, east of Glomma’s outlet.
Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / NRK
It has been a reserve for 44 years.
The Øra nature reserve is over 15 km², and has a rich bird life. Over 250 species have been registered, including swans, geese, waders, ducks, gulls, terns and cormorants, according to the Fredrikstad Activities Council’s website.
Since 1985, the area has had the status of a Ramsar site, because it is valuable for migratory birds.
2023-11-21 04:19:07
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