Abandoned ship set to undergo pollution risk assessment

An initial assessment of the pollution risk in relation to oil and hazardous substances posed by the abandoned cargo ship the MV Alta will be carried out at low tide this morning.The assessment will be performed by contractors on behalf of Cork County Council and the Irish Coastguard.

Following the inspection a decision on what action needs to be taken, such as the removal of fuel, will be made. It is understood the vessel had 80,000 litres of marine gas oil on board when it left Greece for Haiti 16 months ago, but how much of that remains on the vessel will not be known until the assessment is complete.

Cork County Council has also renewed its appeal to the public to stay away from the cliffs above the wreck, which it says are on a dangerous and inaccessible stretch of coastline and in an unstable condition. On 3 September last year, the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship, HMS Protector, posted on Twitter that its crew had spotted Alta in the middle of the Atlantic. Read more Separately the Receiver of Wreck, acting on behalf of the Minister for Transport, has begun the process of trying to find the vessel's owner.

Oopps, climate change no doubt.

You have to ask, how does a vessel of this size go underneath the radar, 5 miles from the mouth of Ireland largest port?

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