Fuel oil spill in Liverpool dock

A spill in Liverpool’s dock area is being investigated after about 250 tonnes of fuel oil spilled from a boat after an accident.

The clean-up operation is currently underway, with large numbers of absorbent booms being used to keep the spill contained within one specific area. No spilled fuel oil has apparently entered the Mersey estuary.

It is estimated that the clean-up operation will take at least two weeks to complete, with teams of workers using various spill control devices to remove the oil from the water. Langton Lock is currently closed to shipping because of the incident, but the Port of Liverpool has said cruise operations will be affected. Langton lock is used to access the River Mersey.

A dock worker stated:

“There are big pools of oil floating on the water and people are out in orange boats trying to clean it up with buoys and booms.”

The spill is near the Seaforth nature reserve. The senior conservation officer for the RSPB, Tim Melling, stated:

“The spillage shouldn’t have an enormous impact, but if the dock gates were to be opened and the oil got out into the open sea, it would have a seriously devastating effect.”