As the Cabinet's task force rushes to coordinate a wide range of cleanup measures to help with the oil spill at Kenting National Park, environmental experts expressed concern yesterday that some salvage efforts could do more damage than good.
Starting yesterday Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) head Lin Jun-yi (
PHOTO: HUNG CHENG-SHEN, TAIPEI TIMES
The case resulted from the Greek ship, the M.V. Amorgos running aground on submerged reefs on Jan. 14.
The EPA has estimated that at least 1,150 tonnes of oil have spilled into the sea.
Lin said yesterday that the ship, which was located 800m from Lungkeng, would be dealt with within one week.
One possible handling method would be to pump out remaining oil and then break up the ship after disposing of its 60,000-tonne cargo of iron ore by discarding it on nearby coastal land.
Marine environmental experts, however, have told the Taipei Times that placing iron ore on coastal land could damage the local ecology.
"Plankton would benefit from the iron more than other creatures, and this increased plankton population would disturb the ecological equilibrium," said Chiau Wen-yan (
Divers working for the Kenting National Park Headquarters (墾管處) carried out an investigation of the wreck on Saturday.
The divers said yesterday that there was no further oil leakage from the ship, but that part of the cargo was oxidized.
Environmental experts are also worried that the Lungkeng Ecological Preservation Area, affected by the oil spill, could be damaged by the workers and soldiers employed in the cleanup efforts and even by the army of reporters and officials that has descended on Taiwan's southern tip.
Wildlife may be affected by the activity while several trails have recently been cut through the area by cars.
According to the control center for the preservation area, the daily limit for visitors to enter the area was previously only 200.
Lin, however, said that a comprehensive evaluation had been done which showed the preservation area would not be affected by such disturbances.
In Lungkeng yesterday, cleanup work on the shoreline was halted by strong winds.
The EPA workers therefore spent the time paving more access roads and established two other sites near Lungkeng.
Seven hundred soldiers from the Eighth Army (
Environmental experts are also worried about high pressure water sprays (
"This measure may make the coastal landscape look better. But it will damage the marine environment unless all the oil which has been flushed back into the sea can be collected," Chiau said.
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