RENA UPDATE: Operation Beach Clean

Posted by Admin on 11/01/2012

Email received from Operation Beach Clean:

Hi,
Firstly, thanks to all those people who turned out today at short notice to help clean up Waihi Beach starting at Bowentown. They joined contractors and iwi groups removing debris that spilled from containers lost overboard from the Rena. Depending on the progress that the various groups make this afternoon, we may organise another clean up later in the week.

Here’s some information that you may find interesting:

  • Booms are being placed at Maketu and Little Waihi in case oil comes ashore there
  • Trajectory modelling shows oil reaching beaches east of Maketu from Thursday evening
  • The amount of oil spilled is much less than was spilled in October
  • Sheens of oil with no dark spots exist around the wreck
  • Teams of 30 were cleaning oil at Matakana and the Mount today
  • Night patrols of wildlife teams found no oiled birds overnight but are checking beaches today
  • 13 vessels are recovering debris and containers at sea
  • 150 people are collecting container debris from beaches
  • 5 containers and their contents were removed from Waihi Beach and aiming to recover another ten

Thanks again for your ongoing interest in Operation Beach Clean. We’ll let you know about future clean up operations

Regards,
Bruce Fraser