Napoli oil pollution - council replies

Following the most recent concerns about oil loss from the MSC Napoli the leader of East Devon District Council, Sara Randall Johnson, has defended the reaction of that council. She points out that council staff were active last weekend in helping to deal with instances of reported oil pollution. Also that other staff have been frequently walking the beach to check for any new oil. There are she says warning posters dotted along the beaches of East Devon.

I have to say that I haven't been to these beaches since the Napoli incident started but the pictures I've seen show some pretty horrible oil pollution on them. What isn't clear of course is whether these patches of oil pollution are very localised or whether they are all over the beaches. One always has to make a considered assessment of media reports because they normally prefer to paint a bleak picture when this sort of event happens. Whatever, getting oil on shoes or clothes isn't fun at all.

Napoli - public can help at last

I've neglected this blog for a few days, the better weather tempting me out into the garden where there is so much to do.

This past weekend has seen a new aspect of the Napoli saga unfold: at long last the general public have been able to get involved with the beach clean up. One benefit of the publicity that surrounded the beaching of MSC Napoli was the desire of many many people to help clean up the beaches affected by the spilled contents from the stranded ship. Up until now the authorities have deemed it better and safer to let the contractors deal with this aspect. But with the bulky stuff removed this is the opportunity for the willing army of volunteers to move in and over 100 have started to remove the bits of plastic and other small items from Seaton beach. James Chubb from East Devon District Council is the guy coordinating everything and those who turned up plus the hundreds of others who couldn't make it this time have submitted their email addresses so that information regarding this and future clean ups can be transmitted efficiently. This is where email really comes into its own.

These volunteer clean ups are excellent; they cut right across the social, age and class divide. This first go at Seaton beach was relatively easy in access terms, later ones could be more tricky.