§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many tons of chemicals were used to deal with the Shell oil slick in the Mersey in the summer;
(2) how many tons of crude oil escaped from the Shell oil terminal into the Mersey in the summer;
(3) how many tons of crude oil were recovered following the leakage into the Mersey in the summer.
§ Mr. TrippierAircraft from the Department of Transport's marine pollution control unit made two spraying sorties and sprayed a total of 6.4 tonnes of dispersant. In addition a vessel, commissioned and under the direction of the metropolitan borough of Wirral, sprayed a total of 12.6 tonnes of dispersant obtained from MPCU stockpiles.
It is estimated that up to 150 tonnes of oil escaped into the river. Once a leak was identified a vacuum tanker was deployed to act on oil at the leak site and more than 50 tonnes was recovered in this way and returned to the refinery. Much of the oil that landed on beaches was mixed with sand and removed. It is not possible to estimate how much of the oil was dealt with in this manner. Most of the oil lying on mud flats and salt marshes has, after consideration of expert advice, been left to weather naturally to avoid causing further damage through disturbance of these sensitive sites.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends setting up a public inquiry to investigate the oil spillage into the River Mersey on 19 August.
§ Mr. TrippierNo. The hon. Member will be aware of the ongoing investigations of the Department of Energy's pipelines inspectorate and the prosecution proceedings being undertaken by the National Rivers Authority. Our assessment is that these, when taken with the work of the independent expert advisory committee, which is to look at the longer-term environmental effects under the chairmanship of Professor Bradshaw of the university of Liverpool, should adequately cover the public interest in this matter.