Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/30
By: Wang Chao-yu and Romulo Huang
Taipei, March 30 (CNA) The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Wednesday that it will complete within two months the clean-up of pollution caused by a grounded ship off Taiwan’s northern coast.
The operation for skimming floating oil on the sea will be completed with 5 days, the EPA predicted, adding that the oil on polluted coastal rocks will be cleaned up within 30 days thereafter, and ensuing environmental rehabilitation of the affected area will be take another 25 days.
A group of divers commissioned by the owner of the grounded vessel found on Wednesday that the ship bottom had hit reef rocks and a cobblestone area, the EPA indicated, assuring that the vessel was not in immediate danger of capsizing.
In addition, the ship owner has sent large cranes to the site and has already lifted five containers that had fallen into the sea as of Wednesday. Two other containers are still missing, presumably having sunk to the bottom of the sea, the EPA added.
The divers will conduct another diving mission on Thursday to check the condition of the grounded vessel and to find the missing containers, according to the EPA. [FULL STORY]