On March 12, when a fire gnawed at the Great America for two days, the Italian container ship has been sinking 330 kilometers off the coast of Charente-Maritime. Its wreck sank at a depth of 4,600 meters. Its bunkers contained 2,200 tonnes of fuel oil and 190 tonnes of marine diesel, and still continue to release hydrocarbons into the ocean today. Very quickly, the maritime prefect dispatched ships to the site to contain the pollution. The invoice will be sent to the shipowner, who has so far been cooperative. No risk of an oil spill, but on March 14, an oil slick 10 km long and 1 km wide was located. It seems to be heading towards the French coast. For almost three weeks, teams have been working continuously in the area to limit the consequences on the environment and navigation. Where we are ? And what happened to the 365 containers, including 1,050 tonnes of hazardous materials, as well as the 2,100 vehicles on board?
Where is the fuel oil pollution?
Currently, the operation is being carried out on two fronts. The first pollution zone is above the wreckage. “There is a continuous leak of fuel oil, of small quantity but diffuse. In this case, we are working at the source and the dispersion phenomenon is quite limited ”, specifies Captain Riaz Akhoune, spokesperson for the maritime prefecture. The second oil plate, called “Front front”, was formed at the time of the sinking of the Great America and drifted. It is currently 297 km west of the mouth of the Gironde and 225 km from the Spanish coast. It is the one that can represent a risk for the beaches in the short term. “The front is increasingly dispersed, hence the importance of acting quickly. We have anticipated, so the means have come very quickly to the area and, as soon as the weather permits, we act on the areas of pollutants that are identified ”, ajoute Riaz Akhoune.
