Oil Spill Closes Manchester Ship Canal
An oil spill closed down a section of the Manchester Ship Canal in Cheshire this weekend, while clean-up operations were underway.
The 4.5-ton spill at the Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port led to the closure. A representative for Essar Oil, which runs the refinery, said the spill had happened as a result of a processing problem, which had since been fixed, reports BBC News.
The canal is set to be thoroughly inspected on Tuesday (local time) to determine whether re-opening is an option yet. Essar Oil, however, has made some significant progress in recovering the discharged oil already. The production facilities were not affected by the oil spill.
Peel Ports explained that the closure of the shipping lane was just a precautionary measure to prevent passing vessels from spreading the oil beyond the contaminated area. One ship was not allowed to leave the area, while incoming ones were notified to delay their arrival. Other cargo will be moved by road.
Disruptions are set to be miniscule and the ship canal is set to reopen as soon as possible.