Tauranga oil spill

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149 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#533264 14-Oct-2011 10:56

If most of the oil us under the water then how come it is being washed up on the beach? That, surely, is a surface phenomenon?.

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#533266 14-Oct-2011 11:01

under the surface does not necessarily mean waaay under water.
I do not know how far under it is. But if you think of the ocean and floor as a cross section then imagine waves rolling in, anything under the surface will get closer to the surface as it moves in.
I also do not know the depth of booms but I doubt the extend very far under the surface as the forces they would need to withstand would be fairly high!

Old Grey Geek

149 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#533284 14-Oct-2011 11:42

Considering the amount of time spent testing dispersants, which have proved to be infective, would it have been such a bad idea to utilise booms as, at least, a precautionary measure? This could have been done on day one but Maritime NZ said at the time...
6 October
"MIRT incident controller Renny van der Velde said the plans being put in place by the oil spill response team will form a safety net in the event of any spilled oil.
?While the aim is to remove the vessel with no oil spilled, it is important to have contingency plans in place in case something goes wrong.? "
Yet still no booms.
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111005c.asp

Meanwhile, later the next day...
"Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) is preparing for an on-water operation to collect heavy fuel oil that has spilled from the container ship Rena, and there are also hopes the dispersant may be proving more effective than initial assessments indicated."
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111007b.asp

And on it goes, still no booms around the ship.

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#533287 14-Oct-2011 11:44

You need to read the posts before your one old grey geek ;)

John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 28

#533293 14-Oct-2011 11:58

Regarding submerged oil getting ashore - surface wave action does not transport floating objects, they are transported by wind and current. Submerged objects get transported by current - when they get into the surf line then breaking surf will transport them to shore.

While I do not know the circumstances at the wreck site the normal main problem with deploying flexible floating booms is also the current, even if there are no waves to complicate matters.

I am sure someone will be along soon to say that is all just due to human incompetence and if they did their job properly then all would be hunky-dory

Old Grey Geek

149 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#533296 14-Oct-2011 12:08

"You need to read the posts before your one old grey geek ;)"

That I have done, including your triple post ;-)
Virtually no mention of booms apart from "they may not work"

We may have to wait for our "Old" experts to come back from "Overseas"

"Labour transport safety spokeswoman Darien Fenton said MNZ had "repeatedly warned" that the funding levels were "unsustainable" and affecting their ability to monitor shipping safety and protect the environment.

"An indication of the disillusion within the organisation is revealed by the departure of two key staff members and National Response Team leaders, the MPRS Group Manager and the Principal Environmental Advisor to the New Zealand National Response Team who left to take up positions in Australia in 2010," Fenton said."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena-crisis/5779669/Labour-attack-Government-over-maritime-safety-funding

I suppose the next thing we will will be that Nice Mr. Key pouring oil onto troubled waters c/o Crosby Textor.

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oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 138

#533298 14-Oct-2011 12:14

Old Grey Geek: And on it goes, still no booms around the ship.

Containment Booms are best used in calm water and also have a requirement to be anchored to be effective.

A google search will give a lot of information on this.

Also bear in mind that any spill oil is from ruptures that may be well below the sea surface. Heavy oil will not rise directly to the surface it will sit somewhere in the water column that is determined by its, specific gravity and wave and water (current) action. This position may vary as lighter components of the oil separate to the surface where they form the visible sheen.

John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 28

#533302 14-Oct-2011 12:22

Old Grey Geek:

...We may have to wait for our "Old" experts to come back from "Overseas"

"Labour transport safety spokeswoman Darien Fenton said MNZ had "repeatedly warned" that the funding levels were "unsustainable" and affecting their ability to monitor shipping safety and protect the environment.

"An indication of the disillusion within the organisation is revealed by the departure of two key staff members and National Response Team leaders, the MPRS Group Manager and the Principal Environmental Advisor to the New Zealand National Response Team who left to take up positions in Australia in 2010," Fenton said."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena-crisis/5779669/Labour-attack-Government-over-maritime-safety-funding

Now I am no friend at all of MNZ, in fact I have many criticisms of it, but if you cannot see the political rhetoric in that trying to make personal mileage out of a disaster before an election then you don't deserve to be allowed to vote

Old Grey Geek

149 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#533307 14-Oct-2011 12:29

"if you cannot see the political rhetoric in that trying to make personal mileage out of a disaster before an election then you don't deserve to be allowed to vote"

If all you vote for is a smile and a wave then you don't deserve the vote.
There is a little more to politics than kissing hands and shaking babies.

Richard2011

60 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#533315 14-Oct-2011 12:49

My goodness - this is just so incredibly tragic, I am so angry that this has happened to probably one of New Zealand's most popular & well known beaches & surrounding ecosystem.

Apologies in advance if this has already been posted, but I thought I would share this information, if anyone is interested in helping to clean up this sorry mess in Mount Maunganui, here are the details below...

Oil Spill Cleanup Volunteer information:

http://www.boprc.govt.nz/oilspillvolunteers

jeffnz

2870 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 666

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#533328 14-Oct-2011 13:03

Old Grey Geek: "if you cannot see the political rhetoric in that trying to make personal mileage out of a disaster before an election then you don't deserve to be allowed to vote"

If all you vote for is a smile and a wave then you don't deserve the vote.
There is a little more to politics than kissing hands and shaking babies.

Well lets hope that niether this thread or the disaster happening is used for political gain, it isn't the right time.

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TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#533330 14-Oct-2011 13:05

Too late. Labour (as usual) were on that old horse straight away

Old Grey Geek

149 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#533339 14-Oct-2011 13:22

"Too late. Labour (as usual) were on that old horse straight away"
That is the job of the opposition.

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#533340 14-Oct-2011 13:24

No, it's not.

MikeSkyrme

272 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 37

Trusted

#533368 14-Oct-2011 14:11

Old Grey Geek: "Too late. Labour (as usual) were on that old horse straight away"
That is the job of the opposition.

The job of the Opposition is to keep the governing party in check.

Their job is not to try to take cheap potshots based on unfounded, ill informed and uneducated opinions of the media.

Phil Goff cleaning a penguin and shovelling a bit of oil infused sand is pure opportunism. He, and the Green party, have not offered one effective solution to the incident. I do not expect them to, as I do not expect John Key to. That is not their job, it is the job of the experts.

It really is a pity the media are not accountable for the mass hysteria they are creating.

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

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