Sunken ship:

Preliminary legal action against owner compiled

Oil seepage continuing at slow rate:

Disna Mudalige

The preliminary documents for taking legal action against the company owner of the sunken Cyprus flagged ship MV Thermopylae Sierra have been compiled, an Environment Ministry spokesman said.

He said legal action will be pursued once the estimation on the extent of the financial burden and environmental damage the ship caused to the country were outlined.

The spokesman said oil seepage was continuing at a slow rate.

The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and the Navy have been unable to get closer to the ship due to rough seas experienced over the past few days. The MEPA has been unable to detect the exact spot where the fuel is leaking from the ship due to this. The oil leaked from the ship washed ashore in small quantities in Ratmalana, Dehiwala and Wellawatte.

The spokesman said the oil did not wash ashore during the last few days after the spraying of dispersant. He said the dispersant helped reduce the oil stick in the seas. A dispersant is a chemical that breaks up oil spilt on water into minute particles, thus avoiding severe damage to the coastal areas, marine life, and watercraft.

The spokesman said minute oil particles evaporate while a smaller amount mix with the water.

He said the dispersants were imported from India.

The spokesman said the damage caused to the sensitive marine environment and aquatic life from the oil spill could be controlled to a greater extent due to prompt action. He said sea water samples are being sent to NARA at regular intervals to check the oil concentration in deep sea areas affected by the oil spill. He said the MEPA has borne a cost of about Rs 6 million so far to control the damage of the oil spill to the marine environment and coastal belt.