A Malaysian ship loaded with palm oil leaked Friday a small amount of the organic liquid into Jordan's gulf of Aqaba, but the oil slick was immediately combated by the environmental authorities there, an official was quoted by the Jordan Times newspaper as saying.
"A ship that was downloading vegetable and organic oil leaked around 150kg into the sea," said Bilal Bashir, head of the environment department at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).
Bashir said that the oil spill is "not chemical and does not harm" the environment, according to the paper.
He said "nature is capable of degrading the substances" - which were cleared away.
According to officials from the Prince Hamzah Center to Combat Oil Spills (PHCCOS) in Aqaba, the oil spill contaminated around 250 miles of the southern shores of Aqaba after sea currents carried the slick to the beach, added the paper.
According to Aqaba Port regulations, any discharge of oil or oily ballast into the water is strictly prohibited.
"Ships’ masters are warned that contravention of this rule renders them liable to penalties of up to JD 10.000 (US$ 14.100) per ship over and above cleaning costs." -- Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
