Work continues to contain oil slick off east Kent coast

Work to contain the oil slick Photo MCA

Work continues off the east Kent coast to keep an oil spill contained and prevent it from reaching the shore.

Two large vessels remain in action using containment, decanting and recovery systems to capture as much of the slick as possible.

The latest modelling of the slick shows that it continues to drift away from land.

Investigations into the source are ongoing and there is no confirmation of where it has come from.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency previously said a potential source was found on the seabed, with further investigations being carried out by the Counter Pollution Team, but reiterated that no source is confirmed.

The first report of the oil slick 12 nautical miles off the coast was made to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency last week by a Royal Navy vessel.

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “We continue to work with our contractor and other partners to do all we can to prevent this slick from getting to shore as well as carrying out the investigation to track down the source to ensure it is found and dealt with.”

The MCA is continuing to monitor the situation through regular surveillance flights across the area and will update its ongoing response plan as new information comes in.

The Agency is also working with local partners to ensure a coordinated response. Shoreline pollution is carried out by the landowner or local authority.

Pollution experts tackling ‘significant’ oil slick off east Kent coast

3 Comments

  1. Think there are many ww2 wrecks around that part of the coast, when the MCA get an oil sample tested. then we will know.
    Hopefully the oil doesn’t drift down towards dover, so many channel (legal) swimmers this time of the year.

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