Status: 22.12.2022 8:18 a.m
The Kiel Canal is still closed to shipping after the oil spill. Three oil spill response vessels were in action throughout the night. The environment minister wants to get an idea of the situation in the morning.
Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) wants to find out more about the situation on the Kiel Canal this morning. According to the police, the Kiel Canal (NOK) is still closed to shipping. A spokesman for the Cuxhaven casualty command announced on Thursday morning that three oil spill response ships had been in action throughout the night. Hundreds of helpers, including many volunteers, are said to be on duty again in daylight.
Ships have been backing up in front of the locks since Wednesday. It is currently unclear how long the closure will last. There will be a forecast later today.
Temporarily increased risk of explosion
A kilometer-long oil slick near Brunsbüttel (Dithmarschen district) was discovered on Wednesday. According to the Havariekommando, the pollution is between the Brunsbüttel oil port and the locks – the lock chambers are also affected.
In order to prevent the oil film from spreading further, the NOK traffic center had the locks closed on Wednesday morning, according to the emergency command. Such a situation is therefore not without danger: Crude oil is very volatile and outgasses quickly. As a result, there was at times an increased risk of explosion in the immediate vicinity of the leak, as measurements by the CCME showed.
Rescuers discover a leak in a pipeline
According to the emergency command, small amounts of oil were noticed on the water last Friday. Accordingly, measures to combat pollution were initiated at the weekend together with THW and the fire brigade. However, the cause was unclear up until then.
On Wednesday afternoon, emergency services then discovered damage to a crude oil pipeline on land. Large quantities of crude oil are said to have entered the canal when the pipeline was used. How many cubic meters it is exactly is determined. Samples are also taken and analyzed on site. In the meantime, emergency services have been able to stop the flow of oil into the canal. In order to seal the leak completely, the oil-soaked soil still has to be removed.
Pipeline damage triggers Grand Deployment
According to the emergency command, forces from the State Office for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Protection (LKN), the THW local branches in Meldorf, Kiel, Pinneberg and Hamburg as well as fire brigade and police units were on site on Wednesday to combat the pollution. According to the emergency command, four work boats were in use on the water – oil booms were also laid out to prevent further spread. The multi-purpose ship “Neuwerk” and the oil spill response ship “Knechtsand” were also on site.
additional Information
