By James Murray with NZN
Salvage operations will continue at the stricken ship Rena today, but it is unlikely that oil will start being pumped off the vessel today, says Maritime New Zealand salavage manager Bruce Anderson.
Overnight salvage teams built four platforms on the port side of the boat which allow the them to work on a level base.
Today, heavy equipment like pumps and portable power supplies will be brought out onto the platforms and the hull may be penetrated later this afternoon.
However, patience would still be required.
“We shouldn’t anticipate any more pumping of oil today,” says Mr Anderson.
“There are a number of variables including weather that make this unlikely.”
Salvage crews had planned their operation today while on dry land.
“It’s complexity on top of complexity,” says Mr Anderson.
“They almost choreograph it… it’s about risk minimisation.”
The Rena, which grounded on the Astrolabe reef nine days ago, is listing at about 20 degrees and has been spilling fuel oil and containers into the sea.
Although the storm earlier this week cracked the ship on both sides of its hull, on Friday morning reports said it appeared to have suffered no further damage.
MetService forecaster Andy Downs said today's outlook was for improved weather off Tauranga, with "not excessively strong, but brisk" westerly winds up to 36km/h driving anything on the surface away from the land.
However, sea swells of between 1m and 2m will come from the northeast, will work to move anything in the water in the opposite direction.
On Thursday a salvage team was able to get back on the Rena after two days of poor weather kept crews off. The team reported only minor damage to the systems needed to pump oil.
There are about 1300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil in tanks aboard the ship.
More than 300 tonnes is estimated to have leaked from the 236-metre ship and is washing up on 60km of beaches between Mount Maunganui in the north and the Maketu estuary in the south.
Shipping containers have also washed ashore, spilling their contents onto already oil-splattered beaches.
Director of Maritime New Zealand Catherine Taylor is full of praise for local volunteers.
“The support from local community in the beach clean up operation has been absolutely outstanding. I visited Papamoa Beach yesterday, the locals were there with soup and BBQs and assisting with the clean-up.”
However, precautions should still be taken around contaminated areas.
“Don’t take contaminated material into clean areas, globules of oil will go back through the system through stormwater drains and back into the sea,” says Ms Taylor.
Anyone near the oil should be wearing the correct protective gear and have their shoes covered.
“The oil is very toxic, a young woman down at Maketu had a little bit of oil on her fingers, used her cell phone and wiped the numbers off it,” says Ms Taylor.
A hotel in Tauranga has found oil on its carpets, highlighting the importance of keeping contaminated materials in safe areas.
“If you do not have protective clothing you will be covered and you cannot get it out.”
According to Ms Taylor oil has started to come ashore further afield, there were unconfirmed reports that oil had come ashore as far afield as Moutohora (Whale Island), which is 6km northwest of Whakatane.
Consequently more people are being trained in the Whakatane area so they will be prepared if oil comes ashore there.
Volunteers for the clean-up now number 2000, and Ms Taylor was forced to admit organising them was something left “a little later than we should have”.
The leaked oil has killed hundreds of birds and there are up to 70 birds and four seals being treated for oiling at the Wildlife Response Centre in Tauranga. The Rena was carrying 1368 containers, and 88 are believed to have fallen off the ship. Twenty have come ashore while 14 have been recovered.
The Port of Tauranga suspended operations overnight because of debris in the water but otherwise operations have not been affected.
3 News / NZN