Pollution Fears in Concordia Wreckage

On Monday night, salvage teams were trying to prevent an ecological disaster as the Costa Concordia started to leak liquid as it shifted from the rocks it has been resting on. A state of emergency has been declared by the Italian government in fear that the cruise ship could slide from the rocks and into 300ft of water, spilling the half a million gallons of fuel on board into the pristine Mediterranean area.

The Costa Cruises-operated vessel has been wedged on a rock off the coast of Giglio Island since Friday, and the rough seas have been battering it since Monday. Rescue efforts were temporarily suspended during the day after it slipped 9cm from the rock. Italian environment minister Corrado Clini said that they weren’t sure if the liquid was fuel or not, but they have put protective barriers up.

The coming days are forecast to have even worse weather, with Thursday having 25mph winds, prompting fears that the cruise vessel could be pushed from its resting place. There is the danger of the ship’s fuel tanks rupturing and spilling into one of the biggest marine national parks of Europe – the Tuscan archipelago. A sinking would also diminish a last hope that some of the ship’s passengers have survived by air pockets inside. Rescuers are searching for the 29 people still missing after having found a seventh lifeless body on Tuesday morning; however, they say the chances are now slim.

In the meantime, salvage workers have been pumping out fuel. There is still 2,500 tonnes of diesel, as well as oil, on board, as the ship had just started the week-long Mediterranean cruise at the time of the incident. Salvage experts are also trying to assess how to raise the liner. One British specialist told reporters that the Costa Concordia is kind of balancing on a cliff. Another expert said that a hole has been pushed into the hull by a couple of pinnacles of rock, but it could break free if it starts moving a lot, which would be a huge problem.

Minister Clini had recognised that time is running out to prevent a disaster. Costa Cruises chairman and chief executive Pier Luigi Foschi says that they are in the emergency phase to try to avoid polluting the area. They hope the ship can be re-floated, but it may need to be reduced to scrap if that fails.

For years, environmental groups have said that big cruise ships need to be banned from getting too close to the Tuscan archipelago. Italia Nostra’s Alessandra Mottola Molfino tells journalists that the disaster is unfortunate proof of the unsustainability of this type of tourism, which exploits and destroys the cultural heritage and beauty of Italy.