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Tar Contamination Disaster: Israeli Investigators Arrive in Greece and Begin Testing Suspicious Ship | Israel today

2021-02-27T18:49:30.488Z


| around the The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that it is investigating a ship suspected of causing the tar disaster off the coast of Israel • "Investigators are now there and conducting the inspection" • Minerva Helen, one of the suspects in the fatal leak, said the ship "had no oil cargo on board" Investigation of tar pollution: The Ministry of Environmental Protection updated tonight (Satu


The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that it is investigating a ship suspected of causing the tar disaster off the coast of Israel • "Investigators are now there and conducting the inspection" • Minerva Helen, one of the suspects in the fatal leak, said the ship "had no oil cargo on board"

Investigation of tar pollution:

The Ministry of Environmental Protection updated tonight (Saturday) that as part of the investigation to locate the cause that polluted the shores of Israel last week with tar, a team of Israeli investigators raided a suspicious ship in Greece.

The ministry said that "a team of investigators has been sent to Greece. The investigators are there now and are conducting the audit and the investigation is ongoing."

Documentation: This is what tar looks like from a bird's eye view on the shores of Israel // Photo: Yevgeny Malkin, Ministry of Environmental Protection

Earlier today, the crews of a 200-square-meter (remote-manned aircraft) squadron from the Air Force in the middle of the sea located the new oil slick approaching the shores of Israel, located 150 km west of them.

Earlier, Defense Minister Bnei Gantz approved the use of Air Force drones to locate the stain, at the request of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

According to the initial inspection, which was completed today and includes models carried out by the ministry together with the Institute for the Study of Seas and Lakes, the stain is not expected to reach the shores of Israel at least until the visible forecast range (March 1).

In addition, no notification was received from any international body about the presence of the stain and the ministry reported to REMPEC in Malta (the Mediterranean Coordination Center for the Treatment of Marine Oil Pollution) on the findings so far. 

Meanwhile, Israel Today was informed on behalf of Minerva Helen - one of the suspects in the fatal leak - that the ship could not have been the source of the pollution along the shores of Israel.

"The tanker had no cargo (oil) on board - it was completely empty. It arrived from Singapore via the Suez Canal, and waited for orders between February 4 and 11 - this is perfectly normal for a ship of this type," it said. 

Photo: Itai Srenzel Nature and Parks Authority

To reinforce this position, the company attached a request for a report from LOYD'S LIST (online shipping magazine) citing European sources that allegedly confirmed that "Minerva Helen could not be the source (of the contamination) because it was not at the place where the leak was reported," the response said.

It should be noted that in a briefing held by the Ministry of Environmental Protection regarding the investigation of the pollution last week, he refused to address any of the suspects in the incident.

"The ministry is assisted by shipping authorities in other countries."

The complex investigation is largely outside the territorial waters of Israel, which cooperates with international bodies on the issue.

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-02-27

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