Australia oil spills are ‘inevitable,’ report on coal ship grounding says

By James Paton
Oct 5, 2010 8:16 PM PT Future oil spills off the coast of Australia’s Queensland state are “inevitable” as ship traffic increases, according to a report analyzing the April grounding of a Chinese coal carrier on the Great Barrier Reef. The incident involving the vessel Shen Neng 1 “highlights the vulnerability of Queensland’s coastline to a significant oil spill,” the report [pdf] released today by the state government shows. More shipping and “the continued likelihood of severe climatic events suggests that the threat of marine oil spills will remain and that future oil spills are inevitable.” The study, by consultant Graham Miller, concluded that the response was “well resourced and executed.” The Shen Neng 1, which strayed into the Douglas Shoal carrying 68,000 metric tons of coal and 975 tons of fuel oil, was towed out of Australian waters at the end of May. The ship was on its way to China from the Queensland port at Gladstone. …

Australian Oil Spills Are `Inevitable,’ Report on Coal Ship Grounding Says via The Oil Drum