Russian warships spill 300 tonnes of oil off Irish coast
16/02/2009 - 19:53:55Up to 300 tonnes of oil was spilled into the sea more than 50 miles off the West Cork coast on Saturday, it emerged tonight.
Two Russian warships are believed to have been refuelling when the slick occurred, the Department of Transport said.
However, a spokeswoman denied early reports of a collision or that the vessels were nuclear.
The Irish Coast Guard have contacted Russian authorities and said the oil is breaking up and is not expected to reach the West Cork shore.
A Department of Transport statement said: "An oil spill incident occurred 50 miles south of Fastnet Lighthouse in the vicinity of Russian naval vessels.
"An estimated 300 tonnes of oil has been spilled. No collision took place. None of the vessels involved are nuclear. "
"The incident possibly occurred as a result of a refuelling operation.
"The Irish Coast Guard are in contact with the Russian authorities and are monitoring the spill which is breaking up. It is not expected that any oil will reach the shore."
The Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Dublin said the Russian naval vessels were in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone when the incident occurred.
"We are monitoring the spread of the oil from the air," said official Eugene Clonan.
He added: "The Naval Service is also taking samples. It is a heavy fuel oil, so it will break up.
"It is spread over an area encompassing four miles by five miles."
The Irish Coast Guard was alerted to the incident on Saturday morning through a satellite surveillance program run by the European Maritime Safety Agency.
Foreign-owned war ships are currently exempt from Ireland's Sea Pollution Acts.
The Friends of the Earth group called for a full investigation by the authorities.
"It is a significant spill in Irish coastal waters which is bound to cause serious damage to marine life," said spokesman Oisin Coghlan.
"The environmental impact could worsen if the oil reaches offshore islands or the West Cork coast.
"I hope there will be full co-operation from the Russian authorities into all investigations by the Irish Coast Guard and other agencies."