flooded into the world’s second largest natural harbour.
One month before the March 2013 leak, Perenco breached official carbon monoxide limits by more than three times. The company used auxiliary burners to stablise the amount of waste emitted. “It was scheduled to close in 2016 and Perenco managed to get an extension way beyond the original decommissioning date.”
If Perenco’s figures are accurate, this would mean around 4,740 litres of oil was discharged into Poole Harbour. “Poole Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world. It’s a huge area so we have four separate teams combing the harbour to understand the extent of the spill at this stage and where it has come ashore,” said Mr Stewart.
The reason it has such a high level of protection is because of the important range of habitats and species that call Poole Harbour home. There are also fears that the Poole Ospreys that bred for the first time in almost 200 years last summer could also be affected. “It’s unacceptable – the operator has already said there will be an investigation. Some serious questions need to be answered.”