Pollution fears over sunken chemical tanker

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Clean-up crews are preparing to deal with a potential environmental disaster after a tanker carrying 6,000 tonnes of toxic chemicals sank off the French coast.

The Italian tanker Ievoli Sun went down on Tuesday about 10 miles northwest of Alderney in the Channel Islands in a depth of 60 metres after its crew were airlifted off the stricken vessel on Monday.

The sinking comes 10 months after the environmental disaster caused by the sinking of the tanker Erika off western France. Thousands of tonnes of heavy fuel washed onto the coast, polluting much of the Atlantic coast's picturesque beaches and craggy coastline.

Traces of chemicals from the Ievoli Sun have been seen in the water already, the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency told CNN.com.

On board were almost 4,000 metric tonnes of styrene, a chemical used in synthetic plastics, 1,027 tonnes of methyl ethyl ketone, 996 tonnes of IPA-ISO propyl alcohol. There were also 100 tonnes of fuel on board, the coastguard added.

A team of experts from the Coastguard Agency flew to Cherbourg on Tuesday to help French authorities deal with the potential environmental disaster.

While it was unclear if the chemicals would leak further, the agency warned people not to touch any containers that washed ashore.

CNN's Jim Bittermann said styrene is a possible carcinogen that is described as highly irritating to the skin. He added that the impact on sea life is hard to tell, but the fact that the ship went down in a very deep area of the Channel could limit the damage.

The 11-year-old ship, owned by Italian company Marnavi, had sailed from the southern English port of Fawley and was reported by Reuters news agency to be heading for the Yugoslav port of Bar.

Of the chemicals on board, styrene was the most toxic to marine life and humans, rendering people unconscious if they inhaled the fumes and with the potential to kill fish.

The principal scientist at Greenpeace's laboratories based at the University of Exeter, Paul Johnston, said it would be very dangerous for crews cleaning up any possible leaks.

"Styrene is very, very flammable and very narcotic. You have to protect the people working in the area from setting the sea on fire and from inhaling the chemicals as they could become unconscious,'' he told CNN.com.

The extent of pollution would depend on how much of the chemicals leaked and the weather conditions.

''In this wind a good proportion will evaporate, although people downwind will get an odour problem,'' Johnston added.

The isopropyl and methyl ethyl ketone were both water-soluble and posed less or a risk than the oil-based styrene.

"If a whole lot gets out there will be very serious pollution, if it comes ashore it will kill a lot of things that it contacts,'' Johnston said.

Any marine life that came into contact with the chemicals would probably be killed, or depending on the level of contamination get a ''very unpleasant taste,'' Johnston said.

The rough weather would break up any large spills, but would also make using containment equipment very difficult.

Chemicals tanker sinks off France
October 31, 2000

Greenpeace International
Maritime and Coastguard Agency

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