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Fears grew Wednesday that Rena, the ship stuck on a New Zealand reef, may break up and release a new tide of oil, as its captain was charged over the nation’s worst maritime pollution disaster.
Up to 300 tonnes of heavy fuel has leaked into the environmentally sensitive Bay of Plenty since the Liberian-flagged Rena hit the Astrolabe Reef, 22 kilometres (15 miles) off the North Island coast, last Wednesday.
Maritime New Zealand is considering issuing face masks to people living near beaches affected by oil from crippled cargo ship Rena.
Rena Oil Spill: Masks Could Be Issued, New Zealand Herald
Maritime New Zealand is considering issuing face masks to people living near beaches affected by oil from crippled cargo ship Rena. The situation with the Rena has deteriorated daily as poor weather moves the massive ship around on the reef, and efforts to offload its 1700 tonnes of fuel oil have repeatedly failed.
