Jiyeh power station oil spill

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Nasa image of spill, taken August 10, 2006. Oil slick in darker blue.

The Jiyeh power station oil spill is an ongoing environmental disaster, caused by the release of heavy fuel oil into the eastern Mediterranean after storage tanks at the thermal power station in Jiyeh, Lebanon, 30 km (19 mi) south of Beirut, were bombed by the Israeli Airforce on July 14 and July 15, 2006 during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.^[1] The plant's damaged tanks leaked 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of oil into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, comparable in size to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.^[2] A 10 km wide oil slick covers 170 km of coastline,^[3]^[4]^[5] was threatening Turkey and Cyprus. The slick was reportedly killing fish, threatening the habitat of the endangered green sea turtle, as well as potentially increasing the risk of cancer. It may take at least 10 years to recover from this spill. According to Lebanon's Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf, Israeli jets deterred firemen from putting out the fire at the storage units, which continued for 10 days, and the Israeli Navy blockade has stopped Lebanese and foreign officials from surveying the damage of the spill.^[6]

The oil-polluted water washing into the harbour of Byblos.

1 Effects
2 Lebanese Environment Minister statement
3 International response
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Effects

The spill affected two sixths of Lebanon's coastline. Beaches and rocks were covered in a black sludge up to Byblos, north of Beirut and extended in to the southern parts of Syria. The slick was reportedly killing fish, and threatening the habitat of the endangered green sea turtle.^[1]

On 31 July the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) expressed its "grave concern" about oil pollution in Lebanese coastal waters. The oil slick was (at the time) reported to cover one third of the coastline (10 miles) and it was considered possible that the eventual slick could reach 35 tons of oil. Malta-based Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre (REMPEC) for the Mediterranean, which is advising the Lebanese government, reportedly said "a very small quantity of tar balls" also reached the Syrian coast in the north.^[1]

The oil-spillage caused by the Jiyeh bombings in mid July, had by 29 July coated the whole water surface in Byblos harbour, some 60 km north of Jiyeh.

[edit] Lebanese Environment Minister statement

"Up until now 20 to 30 tons heavy fuel oil have spilled out into the sea," " "Until now, the worst ecological disasters have taken place in the oceans and it's the first time that an oil spill has happened outside the open sea," "We can have no illusions." "If nothing is done, not only will currents flowing towards the north mean that one third of Lebanon's coastline be hit, but also Cyprus, Syria, Turkey, Greece and even Israel," "The fauna and the Mediterranean ecosystem risk suffering badly and certain species are threatened with extinction," "I have appealed to Britain, Italy, Spain, the United States, all the countries which have already suffered oil slicks to ask for technical assistance as we cannot act on our own," Lebanese Environment Minister Yacub Sarraf said.

[edit] International response

Kuwait - They have sent 40 tons of material to thicken the oil and oil absorbing products.

Israel - Reports from the region mentioned that for a few weeks the Israeli Navy was preventing boats from approaching the spill to determine the damage and spread of the spill.