'˜No diesel found on beaches' after Larne fuel spill

About 40,000 litres of red diesel made its way into the sea just north of Larne harbour after a leak at Larne’s Caterpillar factory.

A slick stretching along the coast from The Gobbins to Drains Bay could be seen clearly on Saturday morning.

With a number of seabird colonies located along the environmentally sensitive coastline, there have been fears for local marine wildlife in the aftermath of the spill – particularly in the vicinity of Larne Lough, which is classed as an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI).

And local residents have also been left wondering whether it is safe to use the popular beaches at Ballygally, Brown’s Bay and Carnlough.

Following a query from the Larne Times regarding the impact on local beaches, a spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: “NI Environment Agency staff have been continuing to monitor the impact since the weekend.

“The coastline from Portmuck to Carnlough was inspected on Monday, with particular attention given to the designated bathing water areas of Brown’s Bay, Ballygally and Carnlough. No oil was observed in the water or on the beaches at these locations.

“Oil was still present at the sea outfall at Glenarm Road, Larne and there was also a light sheen of oil present in the water opposite the entrance to Carnfunnock Country Park. No oil was observed in the water or on the beaches at Drains Bay or Glenarm.

“NIEA staff also carried out an inspection of the Antrim coastline by boat yesterday and no oil was observed.”

A spokesperson for Caterpillar said the firm“deeply regrets” the incident and is carrying out an investigation to “fully understand how this happened and to make any changes necessary to prevent further incidents”.

The company has employed the services of an environmental contractor to assist with the clean-up.

According to a statement from MEA Council, the bulk of the clean-up carried out by the specialist contractor has been within the site where the oil originated.

“However, the wider recovery of diesel from the open sea is not generally practical, as light oils such as diesel, spilled to sea rapidly dilute and disperse under the action of tide, currents and wave action,” the statement added.

The circumstances of how the spill occurred and the exact amount spilled is being investigated by NIEA.

“The Agency has collected statutory samples with a view to pursuing formal enforcement,” the council added. “Additional monitoring samples have also been collected, including, for example, samples of shellfish which have been collected by the Food Standards Agency.”

Anyone with any questions or concerns can contact Caterpillar on 028 2826 1000.