Lebanese Oil Spill May Rival Exxon Valdez Disaster
Tuesday August 8, 2006
The oil spill in Lebanon, caused by Israeli bombardment of the Jiyyeh power plant in mid-July, could end up being nearly as bad as the Exxon Valdez disaster that fouled the coast of Alaska in 1989 unless cleanup efforts are allowed to begin soon, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“In the worst case scenario, and if all the oil contained in the bombed power plant at Jiyyeh leaked into the Mediterranean Sea, the Lebanese oil spill could well rival the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989,” according to an official statement published on the UNEP web site. (See the UNEP chart for comparisons to other oil spills.)
The oil spill in Lebanon is already comparable to the 1999 disaster off the coast of France when the Erika tanker spilled an estimated 13,000 metric tons of oil into the Atlantic Ocean. The Lebanese spill, which occurred when Israel bombed oil storage tanks at the Jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut, has polluted 140 kilometers of the Lebanese coastline and has spread north into Syrian waters. (View satellite photos to see the affected area.)
War Prevents Oil Spill Cleanup
More than three weeks after the oil spill occurred, the war raging in Lebanon and the Israeli coastal blockade have prevented any cleanup attempts, and the oil continues to spread.
“We are dealing with a very serious incident and any practical steps are still constrained by the continuation of hostilities,” said Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNEP Executive Director.
“While I fully understand the complexity and political implications, many are appalled that, more than three weeks into this crisis, there has been no on-the-ground assessment to support the Lebanese Government, no moves possible towards a clean-up, and indeed few practical measures to contain the further spread of the slick,” Steiner said.
Oil Spill Threatens Biodiversity in the Mediterranean
The oil spill may have affected Bluefin tuna, sea turtles and other marine species. The Eastern Mediterranean is a spawning area for Bluefin tuna, for example, and the fish reproduce between May and July. The tuna’s eggs float on the surface of the water, which would make them directly vulnerable to the oil spill, posing a serious threat to the Bluefin tuna population in the Mediterranean.
Steiner said cleaning up the Lebanese oil spill “will require intense cooperation between international actors and the governments of the Mediterranean region.” He said the Environment Unit of the UNEP Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is committed to working with the International Maritime Organization and the European Commission “to create the conditions under which remedial action can be taken.” Ten governments have offered their support, but the conflict between Israel and Lebanon continues to make remediation impossible.
Meanwhile, the UNEP has placed two expert observers in Syria to help evaluate the potential environmental damage from the oil spill and assess mitigation options.
More about the Middle East Conflict:
“In the worst case scenario, and if all the oil contained in the bombed power plant at Jiyyeh leaked into the Mediterranean Sea, the Lebanese oil spill could well rival the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989,” according to an official statement published on the UNEP web site. (See the UNEP chart for comparisons to other oil spills.)
The oil spill in Lebanon is already comparable to the 1999 disaster off the coast of France when the Erika tanker spilled an estimated 13,000 metric tons of oil into the Atlantic Ocean. The Lebanese spill, which occurred when Israel bombed oil storage tanks at the Jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut, has polluted 140 kilometers of the Lebanese coastline and has spread north into Syrian waters. (View satellite photos to see the affected area.)
War Prevents Oil Spill Cleanup
More than three weeks after the oil spill occurred, the war raging in Lebanon and the Israeli coastal blockade have prevented any cleanup attempts, and the oil continues to spread.
“We are dealing with a very serious incident and any practical steps are still constrained by the continuation of hostilities,” said Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNEP Executive Director.
“While I fully understand the complexity and political implications, many are appalled that, more than three weeks into this crisis, there has been no on-the-ground assessment to support the Lebanese Government, no moves possible towards a clean-up, and indeed few practical measures to contain the further spread of the slick,” Steiner said.
Oil Spill Threatens Biodiversity in the Mediterranean
The oil spill may have affected Bluefin tuna, sea turtles and other marine species. The Eastern Mediterranean is a spawning area for Bluefin tuna, for example, and the fish reproduce between May and July. The tuna’s eggs float on the surface of the water, which would make them directly vulnerable to the oil spill, posing a serious threat to the Bluefin tuna population in the Mediterranean.
Steiner said cleaning up the Lebanese oil spill “will require intense cooperation between international actors and the governments of the Mediterranean region.” He said the Environment Unit of the UNEP Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is committed to working with the International Maritime Organization and the European Commission “to create the conditions under which remedial action can be taken.” Ten governments have offered their support, but the conflict between Israel and Lebanon continues to make remediation impossible.
Meanwhile, the UNEP has placed two expert observers in Syria to help evaluate the potential environmental damage from the oil spill and assess mitigation options.
More about the Middle East Conflict:
- What is Hezbollah?
- First-Hand Accounts of the War
- Lebanon-Israel Conflict Timeline
- Casualties in Israel and Lebanon
- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Says Israel Wants Peacekeepers
Comments
No comments yet. Leave a Comment