Cleanup of Japan oil spill nears completion
July 4, 1997
Web posted at: 12:28 p.m. EDT (1628 GMT)TOKYO (CNN) -- A massive cleanup operation of the Tokyo Bay oil spill was expected to be completed Friday, just three days after officials had labeled it the worst spill in Japanese history.
Officials of the Maritime Safety Agency, Japan's coast guard, credited the quick containment to its fleet of 340 ships mobilized in the bay.
The operation was picking up speed with the arrival of Japan's foremost oil cleanup ship, the 3,500-ton Seiryu-maru, officials said.
Seiryu-maru has sucked up much of the 1,300 tons of crude oil floating in the bay. Hundreds of coast guard ships, firefighting vessels, fishing boats and other vessels have taken part in the cleanup.
"There are no longer any big spots with thick oil," a coast guard spokesman said, adding that a limited cleanup could resume Saturday.
Crews have worked round-the-clock since Wednesday when the Panamanian-registered tanker, Diamond Grace, ran aground near the port city of Yokohama, about 18 miles south of Tokyo.
Officials had originally estimated Wednesday's spill at 3.9 million gallons, but their latest estimate is about one-tenth that amount, 390,000 gallons.
Conflicting accounts
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident. Crew members have told varying accounts of what happened. The captain, pilot and helmsman were being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence.
The captain of Diamond Grace, Hidenori Tsunematsu, told investigators he slowed the ship to avoid colliding with another tanker and some fishing boats when his vessel drifted out of control, a coast guard spokesman said.
But pilot Seiji Ushio has indicated otherwise, the spokesman said without elaborating.
"We are still investigating the cause of the accident. This includes an on-board inspection of the tanker's bridge with the pilot, captain and helmsman present," the spokesman said.
Environmental concerns
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto has expressed concern over potential environmental hazards from chemical oil absorbents.
Many ships in the cleanup operation have dumped chemical absorbents in the bay to neutralize the oil slick.
"We must find out if these chemicals will affect fish and other elements of the environment in Tokyo Bay," Hashimoto told reporters.
Most of Tokyo Bay's shoreline is occupied by docks and heavy industrial complexes such as refineries and chemical plants but the bay is still a source of choice fish and other seafood, about 20,000 tons a year, mainly for sushi.
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- Japan's worst oil spill driftstoward Tokyo - July 2, 1997
Related sites:
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- Kyodo News Web - a leading Japanese news agency independent of government, political and commercial interests
- Asahi NewsPaper - the online version of the Japanese national newspaper Asahi Shimbun. English version.
- International Maritime Organization - the United Nations' specialized agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships
- Welcome to The Japan Times Online
- Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC)
- Oil Spill Public Information Center - information about the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
- Research on Exxon Valdez Oil Spill - research papers on the effects of oil spills on shoreline ecology, marine life, birds, and archeological sites.
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