Amoco Cadiz: Organising the response
After the panic of the first few days, the response action became more organised. Offshore, the use of sinking agents and dispersants as well as changes in wind direction kept oil slicks from spreading beyond Brehat island.
Beach
clean-up operations were composed of two stages: the first step
involved pumping the oil which was still liquid, and the second
involved clearing the polluted waste. In total, more than 100,000 tonnes
of “chocolate mousse” and other waste were collected
and a large part of solid waste was neutralised with quicklime.
As
far as professional activities were concerned, the first people
affected were the 1,300 fishermen of the maritime districts
of Brest, Morlaix and Paimpol. A fishing ban was imposed from the
day of the spill to the end of April. The oyster-farming industry
was also affected as oysters from polluted areas were no longer
edible and had to be destroyed. The only thing fishermen on foot
could do was observe the damage. The tourism industry was concerned
for their summer season. The public services for maritime affairs
set up financial aid for the fishermen and shellfish breeders concerned.
Manual recovery.source: IFP
Waste storage.source: IFP