MSC NAPOLI UPDATE - Tuesday 27 February 2007

From the MSC Napoli Response Centre

In a statement to Parliament today, the Minister of State, Department for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman said:

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
MSC Napoli

The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Dr Stephen Ladyman):  This statement is to update the House on the progress of the salvage operation for the MSC Napoli and follows on from my previous written statement, issued on 25 January, as well as the oral statement I made on 1 February.

Since my last statement, work has continued on removing oil and containers from the MSC Napoli.  Virtually all the heavy fuel oil has now been removed, with only small residual amounts left in hard-to-reach spaces. Removal of diesel oil continues. The risk of a major oil pollution incident with the potential to cause widespread environmental damage has therefore passed.

Work on removing containers from the ship is continuing as quickly as the prevailing weather conditions will allow. As of the evening of Monday 26  February, all 853 deck containers have now been removed and work has commenced on removing containers from the holds.  114 containers have fallen overboard since the Napoli was grounded.  We do not believe that the contents of any of these present a significant risk to either human health or the environment. It is likely that a small number of additional containers could be lost, depending on future weather conditions and plans are in place for their recovery should this occur.

Where containers are found on the beach, Coastguard Rescue Teams and contractors go on site with security officers and the Police to ensure the area is completely shut off to the public. The Police are warning the public that they will use their powers of arrest of anyone attempting to remove articles from beaches. The normal arrangements in terms of recovery of wreck material through voluntary salvage do not apply in the case of the MSC Napoli, now that comprehensive salvage contracts have been placed by the owners of the ship (and the consignors) to recover all items from the vessel, including those lost overboard and washed ashore.

On 23 February, reports were received that some debris from the cargo of the MSC Napoli had washed ashore along the coastline from Bournemouth through to the Isle of Wight. Local authorities are being advised to contact the ship owner’s contractor for shoreline clean-up.

Vessels equipped with side-scan sonar continue to search for those containers that were lost overboard and are believed to have sunk. Despite some disruption from severe weather, this work is proceeding well and several containers have already been located.

I would like to express once again my gratitude to Robin Middleton, the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention, as well as all of those who were involved in the rescue, salvage and recovery operations. It is thanks to their efforts that there has been no loss of human life and that the impact on the environment has been far less severe than could otherwise have been the case.

27 February 2007.

TODAY'S UPDATE:

SEAWARD

There is no deterioration in the condition of the vessel.  Its list, which has vastly improved since the initial days following the beaching, is now 10 degrees, which means that the spread of weight within the hull of the vessel is good.

Skimming of oil from the surface of the water in Number 6 Hold has now been completed.  Skimming is continuing in the engine room.  All the main fuel tanks within the vessel are now empty.

The onboard salvage team - 28 members - discharged 31 containers onto the crane barge, Big Foot, yesterday from Number 1 Hold, below deck.  

The MSC Grace now has approximately 100 containers on board.  This feeder vessel is currently at Portland Port.  It will take containers from Big Foot for transfer onward to Rotterdam.

Aeiral reconnaisance yesterday identified a very light sheen of oil moving eastwards from the vessel.

Conditions were right for divers yesterday who were able to prepare another submerged container ready for lifting. The container was floated to Branscombe beach where at high tide it was landed.  As the tide retreats a vehicle will recover the container.

Water samples from locations within the vessel are being gathered for testing by the Environment Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, (CEFAS).

ONSHORE

The local authority on the Isle of Wight is warning the public not to pick up oiled debris that has washed ashore.  

A container, thought to be one of the first spillages from the vessel, has washed ahore on the Dorset/Hampshire border.  Contractors have secured the container.

Contractors are continuing to work on the effected beaches.