Oil Tanker Disaster: An Ecological Time-bomb

An oil tanker sank off the coast of Spain. The resulting oil spill could be twice the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

1 minute read

November 20, 2002, 12:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"A stricken oil tanker laden with 20 million gallons of fuel oil broke in two and sank today in the Atlantic Ocean off Spain's northwestern coast, raising fears of an ecological disaster larger than the Exxon Valdez spill if the oil's containers split open on the ocean floor... The oil spill has already caused havoc on Spain's normally pristine Galician coast, with thick dark sludge washing up on beaches, thousands of birds and fish caked in oil and the region's fishing industry, known for its lobster, brought to a halt.Fuel oil is heavier and more toxic than crude oil, and more difficult to clean up."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Read the full story: Tanker Sinks Near Spain

Tuesday, November 19, 2002 in The Washington Post

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