More dispersant will today be sprayed on oil spilling from the container ship grounded off the Tauranga coast, while questions are being raised about why action was not taken sooner.
The vessel has been leaking oil from its fuel pipes since it struck a reef on Wednesday.
Specialists from around New Zealand and Australia are bolstering the 100-strong response team being led by Maritime New Zealand.
Spokesperson, Sophie Hazlehurst, says one of the world’s best dispersal experts is now on the scene:
“He is working with the team to see if there are different ways of applying it that may increase its effectiveness. I will say though that the level of effectiveness is still much better than nothing, it is dispersing the oil and we are assisted by the choppy conditions out there.”
The salvage team of 15 will grow to around 25 over the next two days and specialist equipment is being deployed from Australia.
However, serious questions are being asked about the operation, with claims more could have been done sooner.
Green MP Gareth Hughes says immediate action by officials, could have prevented the unravelling disaster.
“Questions do need to be raised around why booms to capture some of the oil weren’t deployed earlier, especially given the fine weather we’ve had and the rough weather we’re due to have.”
Gareth Hughes is heading to Tauranga today to assess the situation.
RadioLIVE