No new spills from tanker

THE tanker that broke in half and sank apparently took most of its cargo of toxic fuel oil to the frigid bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, where it may solidify and pose less danger to fishing grounds and scenic beaches along northwestern Spain.

"There have been no new oil spills since the boat went down," said the government's chief representative in northwest Galicia, Arsenio Fernandez de Mesa.

"We're monitoring the evolution of the slicks both where the tanker sank as well as around the coast of Galicia," he said.

Spanish officials flew over the area where the Prestige broke up, 245 kilometers (150 miles) offshore; and then back along the coast to review another slick left by the Bahamas-registered tanker after its hull cracked last week in a storm.

In all, an estimated 6,000 tons (about 1.6 million gallons) or more of heavy fuel oil leaked.

Fernandez said Spanish experts believe the tanker sank 3,500 meters (11,550 feet) to the ocean floor with 70,000 tons (18. 5 million gallons) of fuel in its tanks. The fuel is believed to have solidified with the drop in temperature.

Gingerly touching some tar-like oil at what last week was a pristine beach near this small fishing port, Environment Minister Jaume Matas said all the damage so far is to Spanish territory, not Portugal to the south.

About 90 beaches along 295 kilometres (183 miles) of shore suffered pollution, and the preliminary cost in terms of cleanup and lost economic activity was 42 million, he said. The government curtailed fishing in the area.

Matas said it would take at least six months to clean up the coast.

Surrounded by cleanup crews and TV cameras, Matas pledged to repair the damage "so this coast becomes again what it used to be.

"We have to wait and be prudent because we still don't know whether we have passed the threshold of this crisis," he said.

Portuguese authorities also sounded a little more optimistic that waves of asphalt-like oil weren't looming over the horizon to spoil the Atlantic coastline shared with Spain.

The slick of 36 kilometres (22 miles) by 500 meters (1,650 feet) visible Tuesday couldn't be found yesterday, when Atlantic winds reached 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour and waves topped eight meters (26 feet).

"It's likely it was dispersed by the stormy weather, said Augusto Ezequiel, coordinator of a crisis group set up by the Portuguese navy.

Along Spain's northwest coast, clean-up crews continued scooping sludge from dozens of beaches, and maritime authorities prepared to deploy more barriers to keep the oil away from fishing grounds and shellfish beds.

Meanwhile, the Development Ministry said it notified the ship's insurers London Steamship that a case was being filed against the company, the ship, its owner and its captain.

The government demanded a deposit of 60 million from the company as a guarantee against a possible future fine or compensation claim.

The ministry said the government also presented its case to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund in London.

The tanker's Greek captain, Apostolus Maguras, was jailed in Spain on charges of disobeying authorities and harming the environment. Bail was set at 3 million.

European countries called for tighter controls on shipping of hazardous cargo after the accident.

French President Jacques Chirac referred to the Prestige as a "garbage ship" whose flag of convenience, the Bahamas, and registry, Liberia, seemed aimed at evading European Union safety norms. The ship's management company, Universe Maritime Ltd., is Greek.

The Prestige was loaded with 77,000 tons (20.5 million gallons) of fuel oil for its voyage from the Baltic Sea to Singapore.

The ship had no history of major safety problems and had been inspected as recently as last month in St Petersburg, Russia, according to the American Bureau of Shipping.