Source of oil that killed seabirds unlikely to be traced, says agency (From Gazette & Herald)
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Source of oil that killed seabirds unlikely to be traced, says agency
10:00am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News
THE source of oil deposits discovered on North Yorkshire beaches last week is unlikely to be found, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said.
Up to 15 seabirds died and others were covered in oil when the substance was washed ashore by strong winds in the Scarborough area.
The agency said tests had shown it to be “common fuel oil” used by ships across the world.
Spokesman Fred Caygill said: “It is highly unlikely we will get any new information about the source of the spill and the matter is now closed.”
Scarborough Sea Life Centre said it had treated a number of birds affected by the spill, with Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill saying he suspected it had come from a ship cleaning out its fuel tanks at sea, which he said was “unacceptable”.
