– This is an environmental crime that is very damaging to the environment and wildlife in the Oslo fjord for a long time. Cleanup of the spill is nearly impossible, an Oslofjordens Friluftsråd press release said.
Few Norwegian companies
Analysis of the plastic granules shows that the granules are made for extrusion, where typical applications are pressureless pipes, such as drains and culverts, sheets and extruded profiles.
According to the OF, there are very few Norwegian companies using this type, and the spill is likely to originate from a location in Otre Oslofjord, probably on the east side of the fjord.
Plastic granules have been found in Larvik, Fredrikstad, Asker, Hankø, Brunlanes and Tofte, among others. Hundreds of pounds have been collected by volunteers.
Late Wednesday night, the shipping company Sea-Cargo sent out a press release together with investigative company Norner. There, they explain that the ship “Trans Carrier” on February 22 went from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Tananger in Norway loaded with 26 tons of polypropylene. The ship is owned by Sea-Cargo and operated by Seatrans Ship Management.
Heavy storms
The plastic raw material was manufactured by Ineos and went to the Norwegian manufacturer of plastic pipes Pipelife in Surnadal.
On the night of February 23, the ship was in severe storm. The crew must have noted that holes were drilled in one of the onboard containers and that the granules had leaked onto the deck and probably into the sea.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration was notified the same day of the damage to the container and the leakage of plastic pellets, says Sævild at Sea-Cargo.
The damaged container was landed in Tananger on February 24, and the damaged cargo has been seized by police.
– There will be no damage to containers during transport at sea. The weather on the night of February 23 was very demanding, and I am glad that the crew quickly gained an overview of the situation and that routines and regulations were followed to warn of damage. Sea Cargo has contact with insurance companies and authorities regarding cleanup work, says Sævild.
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– We consider damage to a container during shipping to be very likely the reason plastic granules have been found in the Oslo Fjord. Container damage and leakage occurred on the night of February 23 and were reported to the Norwegian Coastal Administration the same day, says Ole Sævild of Sea-Cargo in a press release on Wednesday night.
