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The 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill occurred off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia on 11 March 2009, when 230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers containing 620 tonnes of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay during Cyclone Hamish. It happened after unsecured cargo on damaged other cargo, causing the spillage. Over the following days, the spill washed ashore along of coastline encompassing the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Bribie Island and Moreton Island. The ship proceeded through Moreton Bay and docked at the Port of Brisbane where it continued to spread a long slick in the mouth of the Brisbane River.〔 〕 The Queensland government declared a state of emergency. Premier Anna Bligh described the spill as the "worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen."〔 It took over 1,425 people 16 months to clean up the affected areas at a total cost of A$4 million, including $A2 million of public funds.〔(Moreton oil spill clean up finally declared over ). The Age. Retrieved 24 July〕 ==Cause and initial responses== MV ''Pacific Adventurer'' was sailing from Newcastle to the Port of Brisbane in Moreton Bay. Cyclone Hamish had formed off the coast of Queensland. Subsequently the improperly stowed cargo dislodged from the deck damaging other cargo and containers, causing various substances to spill into the ocean. The ship was damaged at and below the waterline and began to leak fuel and lubricant oil. Over the following days the spill washed ashore over a 60 km stretch of coastline. In an interview, crew members stated that the captain, Bernardino Santos, was to blame for the incident. The captain decided to stay on course, directly through the storm. As the ship encountered heavy swells, the 20 crew members went below deck, fearing for their lives. At 3:12 a.m., a wave broke the restraints for the cargo and sent 31 containers of ammonium nitrate overboard. The Queensland maritime safety authorities estimated that the ships was at a 25-degree angle at the time the containers were knocked off. When the ship came back down, one of the containers damaged the hull. After rolling to the opposite side, it crashed onto another container, creating a large hole underneath the ship, which was not noticed until it docked in Brisbane. Swire Shipping initially reported that only 20 tonnes had been spilled. This was later revised to 30 tonnes, 100 tonnes, 230 tonnes and 250 tonnes. The Queensland Government reacted to the situation based on the initial information of 20 tonnes, which was later discovered to be inaccurate, leading to claims of an inadequate initial clean-up response. After divers inspected the ship for the source of the spill, two holes were found. One, located just above the waterline, was 10 mm (0.4 in) long 15 mm (0.6 in) wide. The second and larger hole was underneath the ship and measured about 1 m (3.3 ft) long and 300 mm (12 in) wide.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2009 southeast Queensland oil spill」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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