OCEANS:
Great Barrier Reef crash damage could take decades to heal  (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)
It could take two decades for marine life to recover from the damage left by a Chinese coal carrier that ran aground on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and left a trail of leaked oil and paint, the reef’s chief scientist said today. The Shen Neng 1 cut into large parts of the shoal, leaving a 2-mile-long scar and smearing paint that may severely affect marine life even if severe toxic contamination is not found at the site, said scientist David Wachenfeld. “There is more damage to this reef than I have ever seen in any previous Great Barrier Reef groundings,” Wachenfeld said of the April 3 accident that left the 755-foot shipping vessel run aground on the reef.
The ship was successfully removed yesterday after crews spent three days lightening the load by pumping fuel from the ship. The damage to the reef was particularly harsh because the vessel was repeatedly pushed up against the reef by the tides and currents, he said, noting that it completely flattened the structure of the shoal in some places and crushed and smeared potentially toxic paint onto coral and plants, as well. In some areas, “all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel,” Wachenfeld said. Scientists with the reef authority are planning to analyze paint left by the ship to see if it contains heavy metals. If it does, Wachenfeld said, it could also prevent new life from colonizing there. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site. The accident occurred in the southern tip of the reef, which is not the main tourism spot (Kristen Gelineau)
Greenwire
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AP/San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/04/12/international/i050003D44.DTL
2-mile scar on Barrier Reef after ship grounding
By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Rob Griffith / AP
FILE – In this Monday, April 5, 2010 file photo, a ribbon of oil snakes away on the surface from the Chinese-registered bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1, off the coast of Rockhampton, Australia. The coal carrier that ran aground and leaked about 3 tons of oil on the Great Barrier Reef was refloated Monday, April 12, 2010 after being stuck for more than a week.
 View Larger Image
(04-13) 09:18 PDT SYDNEY, (AP) —
A Chinese coal carrier rocked back and forth over a section of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef after running aground, inflicting a gash 2 miles (3 kilometers) long into a shoal that will take 20 years to heal. A leading marine scientist called it the worst damage he’s ever seen to the world’s largest coral reef.

The Shen Neng 1 veered into protected waters and ran aground on Douglas Shoal on April 3, immediately leaking 2-3 tons of fuel when coral shredded its hull.

The 755-foot (230-meter) ship was successfully lifted off the reef Monday after crews spent three days pumping fuel to lighten it. Salvage crews later towed it to an anchorage area near Great Keppel Island, 40 nautical miles (45 miles, 70 kilometers) away.
Its refloating left a scar 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) long and up to 820 feet (250 meters) wide.

“There is more damage to this reef than I have ever seen in any previous Great Barrier Reef groundings,” scientist David Wachenfeld told reporters Tuesday.

The oil that first leaked from the hull was quickly dispersed by chemical sprays and is believed to have caused little or no damage. Small amounts of oil, however, have begun washing up on beaches near where the ship ran aground, according to Maritime Safety Queensland.

The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species. The accident occurred in the southern tip of the reef, which is not the main tourism hub.

The reef was hit particularly badly because the vessel did not stay in one place once it grounded, Wachenfeld said. Instead, tides and currents pushed it along the reef, crushing and smearing potentially toxic paint onto coral and plants, he said.

In some areas, “all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel,” Wachenfeld said, speaking of the fragile coral and the plants and fish that may have inhabited the area.

Even if severe toxic contamination is not found at the site, initial assessments by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority indicate it could take 20 years for the coral reef to recover, Wachenfeld.

Perhaps most concerning to the scientists is the chemical makeup of the paint used on the ship’s hull, which divers have found spread across the vast majority of the impacted region.

Many oceangoing vessels are covered in what is known as “anti-fouling” paint, which prevents marine life from growing on their hulls and creating drag. Certain paints contain chemicals that prevent such growth, while others simply act as a barrier.

Scientists with the reef authority plan to analyze paint left by the Shen Neng to see if it contains heavy metals. If it does, Wachenfeld said, it would not only kill the marine life on the shoal, but prevent new life from colonizing there.

It will be at least another week before the full extent of the damage is known.
Australian authorities are investigating alleged breaches of law connected with the accident. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has since warned that cargo ships entering restricted waters would face the full force of the law.

The ship’s owners, Shenzen Energy Transport, said last week they were cooperating with the investigation. They said the ship was traveling through a legal channel when it inexplicably failed to turn eastward to avoid Douglas Shoal.

The grounding forced a review of shipping regulations in the fragile area. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh vowed Monday to sharply increase penalties on ships causing oil spills.

Bligh said the maximum penalty for corporations would increase from 1.75 million Australian dollars ($1.64 million) to AU$10 million, and individuals would face fines of AU$500,000 – up from AU$350,000.

The proposed new penalties are the latest sign that authorities are serious about stepping up protection of the delicate reef.

On Monday, three crewmen from another boat that allegedly entered restricted reef waters on April 4 were charged with entering a prohibited zone without permission. The South Korean master and two Vietnamese officers of the Panama-flagged coal boat, MV Mimosa, were granted bail and ordered to reappear Friday. They face maximum fines of 220,000 Australian dollars ($205,000).

I am conflicted–on the one hand furious with Obama over opening Fla to oil drilling; on the other, appreciative of all the pressure he is under to achieve anything give the power of the military, special interests, etc. in this country.  It is only the people who will ever help influence things for the greater good.  Earth Day is one opportunity to reinstill a vigor for the never ending battle for environmental protection.  DeeVon

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 13, 2010
 
President Obama Challenges Americans to Take Action to Improve the Environment in Honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
WhiteHouse.gov Features New Earth Day Page to Serve as a Resource Guide
 
WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today challenged Americans to take action in their homes, communities, schools, or businesses to improve the environment in honor of the upcoming 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2010.  In conjunction with the video message of President Obama, the White House unveiled WhiteHouse.gov/EarthDay as a resource guide for all those interested in learning how they can help make a difference in their community.
 
The full text of the video is below:
 
“Forty one years ago, in the city of Cleveland, people watched in horror as the Cuyahoga River – choked with debris and covered in oil – caught on fire.
 
Images of the burning Cuyahoga shocked a nation, and it led one Wisconsin Senator the following year to organize the first Earth Day to call attention to the dangers of ignoring our environment.
 
In the four decades since, we have made remarkable progress. Today, our air and water are cleaner, pollution has been greatly reduced, and Americans everywhere are living in a healthier environment. We’ve passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and founded the Environmental Protection Agency. And in Cleveland, the Cuyahoga River is cleaner than it’s been in 100 years.
 
But the true story of the environmental movement is not about the laws that have been passed. It’s about the citizens who have come together time and time again to demand cleaner air, healthier drinking water and safer food – and who have demanded that their representatives in government hold polluters accountable.
 
That progress continues today, as individuals and entrepreneurs across the country help lay the foundation for a Clean Energy Economy – one solar panel, smart meter and energy efficient home at a time.
 
Since taking office, my Administration has been a partner in the fight for a healthier environment. Through the Recovery Act, we’ve invested in clean energy and clean water infrastructure across the country. We’re taking the necessary steps to keep our children safe and hold polluters accountable. And we have rejected the notion that we have to choose between creating jobs and a healthy environment – because we know that the economy of the 21st century will be built on infrastructure powered by clean energy.
 
But even though we’ve made significant progress, there is much more to do. And as we continue to tackle our environmental challenges, it’s clear that change won’t come from Washington alone. It will come from Americans across the country who take steps in their own homes and their own communities to make that change happen.
 
That’s why, as we get ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I want to leave you with a challenge.
 
I want you to take action – in your home or your community; at your school or your business – to improve our environment. It can be as simple as riding the bus or the subway to work, making your home more energy efficient, or organizing your neighbors to clean up a nearby park.
 
Just go to whitehouse.gov/earthday to learn how you can help. And then tell us your story about what you’re doing to make a difference.
 
In the end, it’s people like you – the small business owners and community leaders; the teachers and the students; the young people and the grandparents – who have made Earth Day so successful.  And it’s going to be up to you to make an even bigger difference over the next 40 years.
 
So let’s get to work. Together, we can continue to make progress towards a cleaner environment and a healthier planet.”

Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://www.3news.co.nz/Great-Barrier-Reef-Ships-oil-leak-stopped/tabid/1160/articleID/150318/Default.aspx

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2693

The public comment period is open now to support designation of 83 corals to the U.S. Endangered Species list. Click on the link above to read more and to sign an online petition from the Center for Biologic Diversity.  I encourage you to do so today!  Thanks, DeeVon

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A stranded Chinese coal ship leaking oil onto Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is an environmental time bomb with the potential to devastate large protected areas of the reef, activists said on Monday.

The ship was a “ticking environmental time bomb,” Gilly Llewellyn, director of conservation for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Australia, told Reuters.

She said this was the third major international incident involving its owners in four years.

Australian government officials say the stricken Shen Neng I belongs to the Shenzhen Energy Group, a subsidiary of China’s state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, better known by its acronym COSCO.

In 2007, COSCO was linked to a major oil spill in San Francisco bay, while last year it was tied to another in Norway, both of which damaged environmentally sensitive areas.

“We are seeing a concerning pattern potentially associated with this company,” Llewellyn told Reuters.

COSCO officials in Australia could not be contacted for comment on Monday.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches along Australia’s northeastern coast and is the only living structure on Earth visible from space. It is the world’s largest coral reef and a major tourist draw.

As salvagers struggled on Monday to stop the ship breaking up and spilling hundreds of tons of oil and thousands of tons of coal, environmentalists told Reuters tighter controls on shipping were needed to protect the reef as Australia’s energy industry expands.

SHIP NEEDS HELP

Although only a small amount of the 975 tons of fuel oil on board has so far leaked, Australian officials have warned the ship is unable to move off the shoal unaided, as its engine and rudder were damaged.

International salvage firm Svitzer has been engaged and has attempted to use tugs to stabilize the vessel, but the head of the government agency overseeing the operation said on Monday the ship was still moving on the reef.

The 230-meter (754-ft) ship was carrying 65,000 tons of coal to China when it ran aground on Saturday with 975 tons of heavy fuel oil on board, a type of oil environmentalists say is particularly sticky and damaging to marine organisms.

The ship was off-course and traveling at full speed when it hit, Australian officials have said. If it broke up as feared, environmentalists said the effects could be devastating.

“We would potentially be looking at an environmental disaster,” Llewellyn said.” It would be an extremely large spill.”

Among the animals affected would be protected species of turtles, dugongs, and marine birds, as well as the sensitive corals, she said.

Chris Smyth, an ocean campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, said with Australia planning to expand its energy industry, its government needs to consider whether ships should be traveling through the reef at all.

“It is going to actually increase shipping traffic substantially and the likelihood of these kinds of incidents occurring in the future,” he told Reuters.

This is Australia’s third such recent disaster, he said, following two last year, another oil spill off the Queensland coast and a major oil well blowout in the Timor Sea.

It should be clearer within the next few days what the likely scale of this disaster may be, Smyth said. In a worst case scenario, the spilled oil could reach protected areas on the Australian mainland, he said.

On Monday, Queensland state premier Anna Bligh called for tough legal action against the shipowners, saying they could face fines of up to A$1 million ($920,000), with the captain facing a further fine of up to A$220,000.

Investigations are underway by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

A spokeswoman for AMSA told Reuters its investigation would be “exploring breaches and possible offences” under Australian law. Some 23 crew who were on board the vessel when it ran aground so far appeared to be safe, she said.

Rescue officials have said the ship will require a long and careful salvage operation, expected to take weeks.

(A$1=$0.92)

(Editing by Jerry Norton)

(Sydney Newsroom +612 6273 2730)