Cyprus-Forum.com

[bill cobbett]

Another vid ... this one showing attempts to clean the beaches up at the northern end of Famagusta Bay...

[bill cobbett]

A summary of reports in the press of the Occupied Areas from the CY PIO...

Environmental disaster in occupied Gastria could not be cleaned even in ten years

The regime asks assistance from Turkey and the UN
The Turkish Cypriot press gives extensive coverage today (17.07.13) to the environmental disaster experienced in the sea of occupied Gastria village as a result of a leak of around 100 tons of oil from a ship which was unloading its cargo at AKSA company’s electric power station in the area.

Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (17.07.13) covers the issue under the banner front-page title “It is a crime, not negligence” and reports that “AKSA drowned into oil the only sea area of Cyprus that was clean”. According to the paper, “the biggest environmental disaster in the history of the country” was experienced near Gastria.

The leak spread to an area of three kilometers within a short period of time due to the wind and reached occupied Vokolida and the fish farms established in the area. A five-kilometer barrier was established in the area for preventing the leak from spreading, but this effort was unsuccessful, writes the paper adding that the regime formed a “crisis desk” and asked help from Turkey and the United Nations.
According to the paper, experts said that this disaster could not be cleaned even in ten years. The Biologists’ Association stated that only 20% of the leak could be cleaned even if the most advanced technology is used.

Under the banner front-page title “Disaster”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.07.13) reports that the sea and the coast in the area have become a “terrifying” sight and that the oil in the sea has spread into an area of seven kilometers between the area known as AKSA area and the lighthouse of Agios Theodoros village.

The self-styled minister of foreign affairs Kutlay Erk and his colleague responsible for tourism, environment and culture, Mehmet Harmanci stated that they have launched initiatives asking for help from Turkey and the UN. They said that they asked a crush barrier and equipment from Turkey adding that this help is expected to arrive today.

Erk noted also that this this was not the first time that such an incident is caused by AKSA. “This means that they have weaknesses”, he said adding that in case AKSA does not overcome these weaknesses the regime should examine the contract they have signed and use the rights deriving from this contract.

Self-styled prime minister Sibel Siber said that the effort to clean the area has started and that the firm which is responsible for the tragedy is brining ships from Turkey. She argued that this incident shows how right they were when they prevented the building of an oil storage facility at the seaside and added that taking measures before an environmental disaster to happen is important.

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.07.13) reports that a leak of two tons of oil into the sea of occupied Gastria had also happened four months ago. The paper writes that then it had covered the issue under the title “A tragedy almost to happen”, but now the tragedy happened.

... and an extract from a report in the CY Mail about this disaster by "trnc" which confirms the huge scale of the incident...

...The Association of Turkish Cypriot Biologists labelled it the largest environmental catastrophe in the island’s history.

The association’s general secretary, Hasan Sarpten, said that no matter how much effort was made to clean-up the spill, around 20 per cent of the oil would never be removed from the sea....

[bill cobbett]

The Rubbish Regime of "trnc" turns down offer of assistance from the Republic.

Reported in the press in the Free Areas...

The Republic had moved 1km of containment barrage to near the cease-fire line by 5.30 this morning.

The UN was trying to negotiate its movement into the Occupied Areas.

"trnc" rejected the offer of help claiming that help was on its way from Turkey.

The Rubbish regime of "trnc" cutting off its nose to spite its face with its long-standing Turk to Turk policy...???

For greek-speakers...

..."Δεν δέχθηκαν τη βοήθεια μας οι Τούρκοι. Οι αρχές της δημοκρατίας ενήργησαν ευθύς αμέσως μόλις ενημερώθηκαν για την οικολογική καταστροφή που προκάλεσε στα κατεχόμενα η διαρροή Πετρελαίου στις ακτές της Καρπασίας.

Αρχικά ζητήθηκε η συνδρομή μας. Ομάδα τεχνικών ήταν από τις πέντε και τριάντα το πρωί στο οδόφραγμα των Στροβιλιών με ένα φορτηγό στο οποίο ήταν φορτωμένο ειδικό φράγμα ενός χιλιομέτρου. Ανέμεναν το πράσινο φως από τα Ηνωμένα Έθνη για να περάσουν όταν ήρθε οδηγία από τα κατεχόμενα πως τελικά δεν χρειάζονται την βοήθεια μας. Όπως διαπιστώσαμε στην συνέχεια οι Τούρκοι είχαν αρχικά ανησυχήσει μήπως υπάρξει καθυστέρηση στην ανταπόκριση από την Τουρκία. Στην συνέχεια όμως – τα χαράματα- διαπίστωσαν πως τα τουρκικά σκάφη ήταν πολύ κοντά στις ακτές που κινδυνεύουν και έτσι απέρριψαν την προσφορά μας για βοήθεια.

Η κυβέρνηση αντέδρασε άμεσα αφού αν η πετρελαιοκηλίδα έβγαινε εκτός ελέγχου υπήρχε πιθανότητα να επηρεαστεί και η ακτή στον Πρωταρά..."

[Lordo]

anybody crossing the ceasfire line will be shot - with or without un. i would have thought you charluis knew that laready. will you never learn.

[repulsewarrior]

...to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. to be humiliated on the world stage so many times over, and to refuse help because it is "Greek", that some "Turk" is on their way, is not Cypriot, it is beyond that plain Ignorance. i don't doubt that by birth there are men of the regime in the north who are from this island, they are traitors, we see the results.

[bill cobbett]

The worst environmental disaster in CY history and all Vordo has on his mind is shooting people who have offered to help.

You and "trnc" are disgusting and very low lives, Vordo...!!!

Anyways, marine casualties already being reported, (and this is from kibrispostasi) including the contamination of an off-shore fish farm in "trnc".

The owner says he'll have to dispose of his pontoons and nets which are covered in oil and will be claiming 1 million TL compensation for his fish stocks.

Something on this for turkish-speakers...

.."İskele’ye bağlı Kalecik’te petrol boşaltımı yapılırken AKSA’nın borularında meydana gelen sorun nedeniyle denize sızan petrol Kalecik’teki Deepsea Fisheries LTD isimli balık çiftliğine de ulaştı. Balık Çiftliği’nin sahibi Sonuç Salih Seyidali, eğer balıklar zehiri almışsa zararının milyon euroyu aşacağını söyledi..."

[bill cobbett]

,,, and news that a big protest (with an attempt at cleaning up) is being organised by environmentalists up there, for this coming Sunday at 10.00am at the power plant, which is at a location given as ... ..."Kalecik AKSA Elektrik Santrali..."

[Demonax]

From Reuters...

Oil spill in northern Cyprus threatens wildlife, tourism

Clean-up efforts were underway after a tanker spilled more than 100 tonnes of fuel oil near a pristine coastline in northern Cyprus, threatening wildlife and tourism facilities, officials said on Wednesday.

The spill occurred early on Tuesday as the tanker offloaded fuel at a power station in the Turkish Cypriot-controlled north of the Mediterranean island, Turkish Cypriot Environment Minister Mehmet Harmanci told Reuters in a telephone interview.

The tanker was delivering fuel to the Kalecik power plant owned by Aksa Enerji, the Istanbul-based electricity producer said in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange.

The firm said close to 40 tonnes of fuel oil had spilled into the Mediterranean and that a barrier had been established to contain the spill. The reason for the disparity in the amount of fuel spilled was not immediately clear.

"The company says the spill occurred due to a problem with the pressure but it may have been due to an improper connection," Harmanci said, adding that human error has not been ruled out.

Local authorities were struggling to contain the slick covering a 7 km (4.5 miles) area along the Karpasia peninsula, he said. Clean-up materials, including solvents, were being sent from Turkey by air but had been delayed.

A barrier has been established but officials are worried about further leakages and are seeking to extend it, Harmanci said, describing the risk as "ongoing".

The Karpasia peninsula is a nature reserve that serves as a breeding ground for rare turtles who lay their eggs in the sand in July and August.

The spill occurred near the town of Bafra, or Vokolida in Greek, whish is on the southern side of the Karpasia peninsula.

"This is the most important time for spawning. Another risk are the facilities nearby in the town of Bafra, our biggest tourism area," Harmanci said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/1 ... ilingsNews

[Demonax]

Help is on the way...

Republic sends equipment to help oil spill cleanup in north

The Republic was despatching oil absorbent booms to the north after Turkish Cypriots re-submitted a request for assistance to deal with an oil spill off the coast of the occupied village of Gastria, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

“UNFICYP is in the process of facilitating the transfer of oil absorbent booms from Limassol to the side of the oil spill off the coast of the Karpas Peninsula as a result of an agreement reached between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot Chambers of Commerce,” UN spokesman Rolando Gomez told the Cyprus News Agency.

Earlier, Gomez said Turkish Cypriots had asked for help from the Republic but later withdrew their request.

He said that the Greek Cypriot side responded immediately to the request and were ready to help. “During the course of the day UNFICYP was informed that the Turkish Cypriot side no longer needed help from the Greek Cypriot side as assistance from Turkey was due to arrive earlier than expected,” he said.

The Republic of Cyprus said on Wednesday it was ready to deal with any possible contamination of its waters from the 100 tonnes of oil which spilled when a pipeline broke on Tuesday.

Both the departments of fisheries and merchant shipping said they were on alert after reports from the north claimed the oil-spill was spreading. Environment Commissioner Ioanna Panayiotou told the Cyprus Mail that help had been offered to Turkish Cypriot authorities but it was rejected.

“It is a shame because we have equipment which can help contain the problem as the spill is expanding and as far as we are aware no help has arrived from Turkey yet,” she said.

It was reported on Tuesday that around 100 tonnes of oil were spilled at around 2am that say after a pipeline from a tanker broke during attempts to supply the AKSA Energy power station.

Initial reports from the north claimed the oil spill covered a radius of five kilometres on the southern side of the Karpas peninsula but by yesterday the size of the spill had reached seven kilometres...

Head of the Turkish Cypriot Green Action Group, Dogan Sahir, told the Mail on Wednesday that the ‘government’ in the north was not prepared for any kind of environmental disaster.

“The government cannot do anything about this situation as they have no experience and no equipment to deal with any kind of oil spill, let alone one of this size,” he said.

He explained that a special crisis management team had been assembled but they were unable to do much until help arrived from Turkey.

“I cannot stress enough the urgency with which the clean-up process needs to happen as the longer we wait the worse the situation becomes with fish farms and beaches being affected,” he added.

Full article:

http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/07/17/turki ... oil-spill/

[supporttheunderdog]

The god news is that there are bacteria which simply love to munch on oil products and in a few years they will have eaten most of the oil.

If the oil has come ashore then the best thing to is to wait. Do not start clean up yet. Give it a few days to Let it all come ashore that easily comes ashore and then clean it up in one go. Does less long term damage to only have to do one clean up rather than three, or four or five, simply to make it look good on TV. Then let nature work.