December 2007
Disaster In Korea
Less than a month since storms battered the Black Sea, breaking up tankers and freighters, dispersing their cargoes of oil and chemicals; South Korea now faces an environmental catastrophe as it experiences the largest oil spill in its history.
On 7 December, the Hebei Spirit, a 146,000 ton Hong Kong registered single hull tanker, was hit by an industrial barge carrying a crane which had broken free of its towing lines. The resulting tear allowed almost 10,000 tons of oil to leak before it was able to be sealed, creating a 10.6 mile long slick near to Daesan Port (70 miles southwest of Seoul) where it was anchored.
The slick moved along the coast, contaminating 50km of coastline near to a nature preserve on the west coast, known for its beaches, parkland and importance for migratory birds. The area is home to farms that produce seaweed, clams and sea cucumbers and provides resources in some form to around 4,000 fisherman. Already, oyster farmers are saying that where stocks were affected, they will take at least a decade to rebuild.
Residents from the affected area in Mallipo claimed the oil could be smelt over half a mile inland and that "the smell [was] so strong that it causes a headache." They continued: "This is not the sea we used to have. It’s all dark brown. Sea waves are dark brown, the beach is scattered with greasy clumps of sand… Mallipo is finished."
As locals called for a disaster area to be declared, the government was swift to react. Cheon Myeong-cheol, a Taean coast guard official detailed "a part of the slick reached the shores of Taean and onto the beaches. There are about 1,200 residents helping the clean up." Simultaneously, the army, coastguard and police aided in the 8,800 person strong operation, using whatever tools were at their disposal to clear the crude, which left a layer of oil up to 10cm thick.
At sea 23 naval vessels, six helicopters and over 100 other ships were battling to contain the slick, in spite of worsening weather conditions which hampered operations and served to further disperse the oil.
The Maritime Ministry’s information and policy monitoring team sought to reassure people that everything was being done to manage the disaster:
"We have set up a boom, trying to stop oil from spreading along the coast [and] we’re installing oil containment fences to prevent further inflow." However, the acknowledged that "oil sometimes overflows it depending on the currents… If we fail to contain the spread, it is feared [the slick] will inflict serious damage to the coast."
South Korea’s biggest previous oil spill was of half the size and cost $104m to clean up. This latest incident represents the biggest spill the world has seen since the grounding of a Greek registered tanker near Karachi in 2003, and the second major international spill in successive months.
Government officials are still deciding whether to label the area a "special disaster area". Such a move would allow central government financial assistance to cover the cost of the clean up and give tax-relief and repayment holidays on loans to residents. In the meanwhile, locals remain anxious about their futures as the clean up continues.
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