Konemu
On 23 January 1997, the tanker the Konemu ran aground in Numea’s
lagoon and accidentally spilled 100 tonnes of diesel. Drifting
under the effect of a trade wind, the oil slick reached the small
islands of Charron and Bailly, then the coast of Mont-Dore’s
town and Boulari’s mangrove in spite of the oil response
means (hull plugging, floating boom, polystyrene absorbing foam,
etc.) which had been set up rapidly according to the Polmar Sea
Plan.
On 31 January, the government’s representative requested
an expert from Cedre to be sent to Numea in order to assess the
impact of the spill on the environment and on economic activities,
to help to settle the compensation procedures and the reimbursement
of the oil sea response expenses, to estimate the risks of accidental
pollution in New Caledonia and to help to improve the Marine Pollution
response plan by estimating the response equipment needs.
Mangrove affected by the Konemu’s pollution (Source: Cedre)
This small scale accident revealed the weaknesses of the local preparation to respond to accidental sea pollution and its consequences. The State services set about the territory’s Polmar Plan review and set up a preparation programme in response to accidental maritime water pollution through staff training courses and the annual organization of antipollution drills.
Name: Konemu
Date: 23 January 1997
Location: New Caledonia
Accident area: lagoon off Noumea
Cause of spill: grounding
Quantity transported: 775 tonnes
Type of pollutant: diesel fuel oil
Quantity spilled: more than 100 tonnes
Ship type: tanker
Date built: 1990
Length: 63 m
Mangrove affected by the Konemu’s pollution(Source: Cedre)
Last update: April 2006