- A few tens of kilos of polluting products were recovered on several beaches in Loire-Atlantique and Vendée.
- The analyzes "show great similarities with the fuel oil from the ship" Grande America ", says the maritime prefecture.
The analyzes have spoken. Oil pellets found since Monday on several beaches in Loire-Atlantique and in Vendée could come from "Grande America", a ship which sank last year in the Bay of Biscay, announced Thursday evening the maritime prefecture of the Atlantic.
“The first analyzes” carried out by the Research and Experimentation Documentation Center on accidental water pollution (Cedre) “show great similarities with the propulsion fuel from the Grande America ship, which sank in the Bay of Biscay March 12, 2019, "said the press release from the maritime prefecture.
“Aerial overflights were also carried out vertically from the place of the sinking of Grande America. No pollution at sea has been detected since the alert was triggered, "the statement added, adding that" enhanced surveillance of the coast and maritime approaches "to the region" is being maintained ".
A few tens of kilos recovered
"However, the weather conditions, currently degraded in the Bay of Biscay, make it difficult to detect pollutants at sea, which experience shows that they could be caught between two waters", underlines the text according to which "on the beaches the more affected, a few tens of kilograms of polluting products were recovered, as well as several birds carrying traces of oil. ”
Following a fire on board, the container ship Grande America sank on March 12, 2019 in the Bay of Biscay, by 4,660 meters deep, causing, in the weeks that followed, pollution by floating debris and by propulsion hydrocarbons. In April 2019, work had been carried out on the wreck to close the openings through which this fuel flowed.
Planet
Shipwreck of "Grande America": "No large-scale pollution, but there may be some slabs"
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- Pollution
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