Hard slog for clean-up crews

Crews have removed oil from 6.3km of shoreline between Foxton and Himatangi today and will reconvene tomorrow morning to continue the clean-up effort.

Horizons Regional Council on-scene commander Ian Lowe says the oil clean-up is dependent on the tides and high tide is expected at 10am tomorrow.

This will mean a slow start for clean-up crews, with work getting easier as the tide recedes.

“We’ve had about 40 people on the ground with gloves and bin liners today and it is a slow, hard slog to comb the beach and remove the oil,” Mr Lowe says.

“We really appreciate the assistance we’ve received from DOC, iwi and local volunteers. We anticipate being here for at least another couple of days and will be joined by more Horizons staff tomorrow as well as community service volunteers overseen by the Corrections Department.

“The ability to drive along the beach and the lack of debris also makes our job a whole lot easier,” he says.

The impact for marine life is considered minimal and no oil has been found in the Manawatu Estuary, a Ramsar site.

One clean-up crew did come across a juvenile seal resting on the beach after the recent storm with a small patch of oil on its back. However, DOC Conservation Services Manager for Manawatu Rod Smillie says the seal is expected to make its way back out to sea once it is fully rested and won’t suffer any adverse effects from the oil.

“After finding the seal on the beach our team sought veterinary advice from Massey University. The oil appears to have come from the sand the seal was lying in and this has now been cleaned up.

“The seal’s been fenced off to avoid disturbance from clean-up crews and we expect it’ll head back out sea when it’s had a good rest,” Mr Smillie says.

The source and scale of the oil spill remains unknown. No further oil has washed ashore since Monday and samples have been sent for testing.

ENDS

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