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Oil spill at Port of Timaru

Thursday 3 May 2012, 2:48PM

By Environment Canterbury

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TIMARU

Environment Canterbury was made aware of a significant oil spill at the Port of Timaru yesterday morning from a deep sea fishing vessel.

The response and clean-up is being supervised by Environment Canterbury’s Timaru based oil-spill response team, and a shoreline assessment has been conducted in the harbour by staff this morning to assess the extent of the spill and impact on the shoreline.

Specialist absorbent material from Christchurch has been shipped overnight to Timaru to assist in the clean-up and Environment Canterbury’s trained responders are working with the vessel owners involved to complete the clean-up.

Environment Canterbury's wildlife co-ordinator is also on site in Timaru and is doing a full assessment of the impact on local wildlife.

It is not known yet the exact amount of oil that was released or the cause of the spill, but the spill has stopped and has been contained.