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Tanker Pacific Adventurer that caused Sunshine Coast oil slick leaking fuel into Brisbane River

* Cargo ship leaks oil into Brisbane River
* Oil slick described as 500m
* Earlier oil loss created disaster zones

THE cargo ship that caused one of southeast Queensland's biggest environmental disasters has leaked oil in the Brisbane River.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown, who flew over the ship berthed at Hamilton at 1pm (AEST) today, says there's a 500m-long oil slick down the Brisbane River from the vessel, the Pacific Adventurer.

He said the oil had escaped a boom around the stern of the ship.

"There is a very serious oil spill now in the heart of Brisbane," Senator Brown said.

"How did that happen? There's a failure down the line here which started in the Port of Newcastle and has now ended in the Port of Brisbane."

The vessel's owner, Swire Shipping, said in a statement the oil leak occurred when the ship, which had been listing, was brought upright after docking at Hamilton this morning.

"As full soundings of the vessel's tanks were being taken at the port to determine how much oil had leaked from the vessel, a small quantity of fuel oil escaped from the Pacific Adventurer," the company said.
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* Shipowner faces fines over oil spillThe Australian, 13 Mar 2009

Your Say

Baz (#4) ... he is right. The qlders have completely stuffed this one up. There isn't much they do well

(Read More)
smithy of Brisbane

"The small oil leak was immediately contained between the ship and the wharf."

Swire Shipping said a recovery vessel had sucked the oil from the water's surface and booms around the ship had contained the leak.

Extra booms were set around the vessel as a precaution.

The company and insurers were now in talks with the authorities over the cost of the clean-up.

Around 100,000 litres of oil from the cyclone-stricken Pacific Adventurer have washed up on the shores of Moreton and Bribie island and parts of the Sunshine Coast.

The areas have been declared disaster zones and state and Federal authorities are responding, while the maritime watchdog is investigating the spill.