Minor oil leak from MV X-PRESS PEARL shipwreck

COLOMBO (News 1st): A minor oil leak is being reported from the X-PRESS PEARL shipwreck, the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said on Wednesday (Sept. 29). Based on calculations, less than 20 liters of oil leaks from the vessel daily, Attorney-at-Law Dharshani Lahandapura, the Chairperson of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) told News 1st. "A very little volume of oil is leaking from the vessel and the only action that we can take against this is to do the mechanical dispersant because the depth of the area is only 25m," Lahandapura noted. According to the MEPA Chairperson, if the area is less than 25m it is not advisable to use chemical dispersant and oil spill prevention booths cannot be used either since the oil sheen is very thin that it evaporates quickly. Measures are underway to expedite the evaporation process, she added.