From: Greenpeace via Jym Dyer <jym@mica.berkeley.edu>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.activism,talk.environment
Subject: NEWS: Long Term Effects of Spanish Oil Spill Denounced
Followup-To: talk.environment
Date: 14 Dec 1992 23:15:00 GMT
Organization: The Naughty Peahen Party Line
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu

[Greenpeace Press Release from Environet -- Redistribute Freely]

 GREENPEACE DENOUNCES THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SPANISH OIL SPILL

LA CORUNA, SPAIN -- A research team from the international
environmental group Greenpeace released preliminary results of
its inspection of damage caused by the massive oil spill in La
Coruna.  Representatives from Greenpeace said that the efforts
to contain the spread of the spill have been totally inefficient
and nothing has been done to remove what fuel may still be
aboard the Greek tanker "Agean Sea."

The international team includes Jeremy Leggett, a (U.K) Phd
in geology and expert on oil issues; Albert Kuiken, the Dutch
captain of the Greenpeace ship "Solo"; John Bennett, (Canada)
international coordinator of the oil campaign; and Juan Lopez
de Uralde, coordinator of Greenpeace Spain's toxics campaign.
Also present were Raul Garcia and Guillermo Fernandez Obanza
from the local environmental group BIOTOPO, which is working
in cooperation with Greenpeace to recover birds affected by
the oil.  According to BIOTOPO, thousands of oiled marine birds,
including endangered species like the razorbill and the common
guillemot, are washing up along the coast.  Many face certain
death.

Dr. Leggett said the effects of the spill will be felt long
after the slick disappears.  As has been seen in other spills
of this magnitude, toxics compounds such as polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons will remain in the water and continue to harm the
marine environment after the oil dissipates.

The captain of the "Solo", Albert Kuiken, criticized the Spanish
authorities for not taking the initial steps necessary to remove
whatever oil may remain in the ship.  For this type of operation
to have any chance of success work must begin immediately
weather permitting.

In addition, according to Greenpeace, the booms and skimmers
being used to protect the area`s rich tributaries are too small
and inefficient to prove effective.  In a spill of this size
damage to the marine ecosystem is unavoidable, but all possible
measures should be applied in order to remove as much oil from
the water as possible and to try to protect sensitive areas.

But Greenpeace also warned that dispersants, detergents or any
other chemical compounds should not be used to fight the spill,
because these measures only add new pollutants to the sea.
John Bennett warned that these catastrophes will continue unless
our society ends its addiction oil.  Alternatives do exist, and
we must forge a responsible energy policy based on Energy
Conservation and Efficiency (which would allow us to reduce
energy consumption), and renewable, clean sources of energy.

"We are so addicted to oil and accepting of the consequences
that we simply ask when and where the next oil spill will take
place.  It is necessary to develop alternatives that will permit
us to stop the spills and leave the oil in the soil forever,"
Bennet said.