Disaster fears as tanker splits (Off of the Coast of Spain portugal )

CNN ^ | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 Posted: 1442 GMT | CNN

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

LA CORUNA, Spain -- One of the world's worst environmental disasters was feared to be under way as the crippled oil tanker Prestige split in two and began to sink off Spain's north-west Atlantic coast.

Salvage crews are battling to keep afloat the battered bow section of the Prestige about 200 kilometres (130 miles) off the coastline in Atlantic waters 3,600 metres (11,880 feet) deep.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I should have given the Drudge Report credit for this report also!

[ArcLight]

Wonder how the Euros will find a way to blame us for this...?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Bottoms up

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

70,000 tonnes is about 20 million US gallons.

[FreePaul]

Maybe we can get all of the enviro-whackos to go to Spain. Won't they have fun over there?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Note the "Prestige" is a single hulled tanker. These were banned from US waters by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, drafted by the USCG and approved by congress, following the Exxon Valdez disaster.

[putupon]

Don't sweat it, our frozen wasteland known as ANWR is still safe.

[xrp]

Has PETA deployed its minions yet to help with the cleanup or are they too busy making asses of themselves at Victoria Secret's panty exhibitions?

[The Real Eddie01]

CNN is drooling over these photo's.

With nothing left to say regarding the elections, this is perfect fodder to show how a Repulican controlled government is destroying the earth.

After all this disaster is a direct result of George W. Bush's big oil ties and underthetable sweetheart deals for his cronies in the big oil industry.

Here it comes. A barage of smoke stacks, sewage discharge tubes and oil spill images to show what happens when you elect Republicans.

Eddie01

[Joe Brower]

Wonder how the Euros will find a way to blame us for this...?

Ha-hah! I was going to say, "OK -- What exactly did George Bush know and when did he know it?"

[FreePaul]

...the "Prestige" is a single hulled tanker.

From the article I believe that the "Prestige" is now a double hulled tanker. Half at one place, half at another.

[Guillermo]

Perfect example as to why we should drill off the Cal and Fla coasts.

Don't have to fill any tankers, you just pipe it in to the refinery.

[afz400]

Sorry, but this isn't an environmental wacko issue. This hurts a lot of people and whoever is responsible should be punished. A single hulled tanker has no business hauling this much oil.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think the cargo was N6 fuel oil, which means its likely to sink rather than float and evaporate on the water's surface like distillate or gasoline. This means it'll be coming ashore for a long time.

[Kenny Bunk]

PETA has every right to become involved. Many Greek cargo vesssels including the oil tankers, are family enterprises and put to sea with livestock aboard, just like in the olden days.

PETA must have its own Coast Guard with fully equipped animal rescue vessels. I am serious here. Every time one of these vessels go down, Greeks leave their goats behind.

[NormsRevenge]

An emergency worker uses a special vacuum cleaner to clean oil off the beach in Malpica, northern Spain, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2002.

[Rockitz]

Sorry, but this isn't an environmental wacko issue. This hurts a lot of people and whoever is responsible should be punished. A single hulled tanker has no business hauling this much oil.

Amen. I'm no wacko, but I'm sick about this and every FReeper should be.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Oh no. Thats bad.

We need to make sure the ships handling this kind of Cargo are double hulled. Spain and Portugal are poor countries. Perhaps they shouldn't be hauling such an environmentally dangerous cargo if they can't afford the proper equipment to do it in.

Everyone knows what happened with the Exxon Valdez. Or do they live in a cave?

Cargo Ships that carry Oil or other dangerous materials, need to be double hulled, period.