Mediterranean oil spill would be catastrophic
Malta's economy would totally collapse if an oil accident were to happen in the Mediterranean, according to Nature Trust.
The NGO yesterday called on the Maltese authorities and the EU to react to the risky oil drilling off the Libyan coast and immediately halt oil drilling projects in the Mediterranean.
Multinational company BP - responsible for a huge oil spilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - is planning to begin offshore drilling in Libya soon.
"The disaster happened in the Atlantic Ocean where tons of oil polluted the marine environment damaging not only marine biodiversity and eco systems for thousands of kilometres around the disaster site but also affected coast ecology and the economy of various states," Nature Trust said.
On the other hand, offshore drilling in the Mediterranean would pose a higher risk since the Mediterranean Sea is a small closed sea.
"Malta has so far been lucky when one considers the thousands of oil tankers that pass in the Sicily channel each year. We simply cannot afford to increase our risk factors when our biodiversity and economy are so fragile and at stake."
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L. Farrugia
Aug 2nd 2010, 20:22
safejn naf jiena la Nature Trust, la Frank Portelli u hadd ma kien tkellem meta Malta taght licenzji biex isir thaffir fiz-zona taghna mela ghax dan il-fuss kollu issa f'daqqa wahda. Li minflok il-BP li kellha l-accident il-boghod minn xtutna kienet kumpanija oħra li ma kellha ebda incident kien se jqum tan il-kjass kollu.
victor rodenas
Aug 1st 2010, 17:18
Does anybody think that if we find huge amounts of oil 5 miles off Malta we will not drill for it ?
Frank Portelli 2BFRANK
Aug 1st 2010, 17:05
I share the concerns raised by Nature Trust on the risks of deep water drilling in the Mediterranean – Malta should insist on a moratorium until international safety standards are established for oil-drilling to decrease the risk of tragic accidents and of environmental disasters .
Malta is inextricably connected with the Law o the Sea which already imposes obligations on states to “protect and preserve the marine environment.” Article 192
In my view Malta should call an urgent meeting of the UN General Assembly and demand that that international safety standards be established.
At this present moment even the US a non-signatory to the Law of the Sea Convention will support our initiative.
We should consider legal steps to force BP to set up a separate escrow account of at least another 20 million Euros to guarantee compensation in case of an accident.
They would be unlikely to allow safety alarms on rigs to be “inhibited” as happened in the Gulf.
I trust our voices will not remain in the desert.
Dr Frank Portelli
lgalea
Aug 1st 2010, 17:54
20 million? I think that should be more like 20 BILLION a least.
L. Farrugia
Aug 1st 2010, 09:46
why all this fuss about something which have not yet started. As far as I know there are other companies drilling in the mediterean and they have been doing so for many yars. There are also a considerable number of refineries which are in our areas. So please be more sensible.