MV Rena - Grounding off the coast of Tauranga :: Last updated 7.00am : 12 November 2011

The Rena sitting in calm conditions while oil is transferred to the Go Canopus and the Awanuia. 11 November

MEDIA UPDATE : 7.10am 12 November 2011

• A salvage team of three remained on board overnight and maintained continuous pumping of oil from the starboard number 5 fuel oil tank to the Awanuia.
• The salvors advise they have maintained a flow rate of around 4 tonnes an hour. We will aim to provide an updated figure of the total amount pumped this afternoon.
• Weather conditions remain good for salvage operations.
• Shoreline clean-up teams will today be working on Matakana and Rabbit Islands, as well as at Mount Maunganui and Maketū.

The next media update will be at 11am.

The Go Canopus and the Awanuia receive oil from the Rena. 11 November

Rena update 89 : 11 November 2011: 7.00pm

Good progress continues to be made in removing the last of the oil from the submerged number 5 starboard fuel oil tank on the grounded container ship Rena, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says.

MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Arthur Jobard said salvors had maintained continuous pumping of heavy fuel oil from Rena to the tanker Awanuia today.

This graphic simulates the flooding of sea water inside Rena's hull. 9 November

At 6am this morning, around 116 tonnes of oil had been removed from the 358 tonnes in the starboard tank and the flow rate has held steady all day at about 4 tonnes per hour.

"We have now removed around a third of the heavy fuel oil from this tank. We are making good progress thanks to an extra pump on the line," said Mr Jobard.

This graphic shows inside Rena. The No.5 HFO starboard tank is shown with the bottom half full of the water that was pumped in to raise the oil to the top of the tank for hot tapping. 9 November

The team was using a ‘hot tapping’ technique, which is a method of extracting oil from the submerged tank without allowing the oil in the tank to leak out.

"The team has also been removing the last remnants of lubricating oil, along with emptying the storage tanks. Tomorrow the team hopes to start sucking out the final bits of heavy fuel oil from the bottom of number 5 port fuel oil tank," he said.

This graphic focuses on a section of the Rena where pressure has caused light indentations between frames (like ribs) 74 and 83 and more severe damage underneath. 9 November

The weather forecast for the next few days was good for salvage operations, with only minimal swells and light winds. The clear weather was forecast to remain until Wednesday.

Assistant National On-Scene Commander Scott Read said beach clean-up events will continue at the weekend. On Saturday clean-up crews will be at Papamoa, Matakana Island and Maketu and on Sunday at Matakana Island and Papamoa.

This graphic shows the stern of the Rena and the area of buckling. 9 November

A total of 904 tonnes of oily waste has so far been collected by the clean-up crews.

A view of the Rena and other salvage vessels seen from an early morning observation flight. 9 November

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 12 November 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111111b.asp

Grounding off the coast of Tauranga : Last updated 6.55am 11 November 2011

MEDIA UPDATE 6.50am 11 November:

• 6 salvors remained on board Rena overnight, maintaining continuous pumping from the number 5 starboard tank into the tanker Awanuia.
• The salvage team advises they are making good progress with increasing the flow rate of the oil.
• An update on the total amount of oil pumped from the tank will be provided this afternoon at the press conference. The total amount removed as at 14.45pm yesterday was 54 tonnes.
• Shoreline clean-up teams will be working on Matakana Island, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, Motiti Island, Maketu and Rabbit Island today.

The next media update will be at 10.30am.

Rena update 87: 10 November 2011: 6.00pm

Oil is now being continuously pumped at a stable rate from the submerged number 5 starboard fuel oil tank on the grounded container ship Rena, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says.

As at 3pm today, around 54 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the tank had been transferred to the adjacent oil tanker Awanuia.

MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Arthur Jobard said this left around 300 tonnes of oil still to be pumped off the ship to empty the final and most challenging tank.

“It is really pleasing to see oil being pumped from this tank,” Mr Jobard said.

“Getting to this point has been incredibly challenging for the salvors. They have worked tirelessly to start removing oil despite setbacks along the way, and this is a significant milestone for the entire operation.

“Every tonne of oil they take off the ship is another tonne that will not go into the water.”

Mr Jobard said the team was now working to speed up the pumping rate from the tank, in an effort to get the oil off as quickly as possible. The team was using a “hot tapping” technique, which is a method of extracting oil from the submerged tank without allowing the oil in the tank to leak out.

The pumping rate is currently around 3 tonnes an hour but salvors were working to increase this by installing a 4th hot tap and adding other pumps.

Mr Jobard said once all the oil had been pumped off the ship, then, weather permitting, container removal from Rena would begin.

The container barge, Sea Tow 60, was already on hand ready to start work and the crane barge, Smit Borneo, was also on its way from Singapore and was due to arrive by early December.

This bigger barge has a greater reach, which will enable it to recover containers out of reach of the ST60. It also has accommodation on board which will allow salvors to remain on the barge, thus saving transfer time.

National On Scene Commander Rob Service said shoreline clean-up assessment teams had been working on Motiti Island today, and on beach areas between Mount Maunganui and Maketu.

New Zealand Defence Force personnel, volunteers and contractors were involved in clean-up operations in the same areas.

“The volunteers continue to be a very important part of the oil spill response,” Mr Service said.

“We saw around 120 volunteers participating in beach clean-up operations yesterday, and today, they have been involved in the surf washing process being trialled at Papamoa Beach.”

Surf washing is an oil spill response technique in which a light digger excavates sand and deposits it at the water’s edge, where natural tidal movement separates out clumps of oil, which are then collected.

Mr Service said the trials had gone well today and there would be further surf washing operations tomorrow.

Operation Beach Clean has one beach clean event at Papamoa tomorrow, starting at 10am.

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 11 November 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/News/Media-releases-2011/20111110b.asp

Grounding off the coast of Tauranga : Last updated 10.30am : 10 November 2011

Rena update 86: 10 November 2011: 10.30am

Salvage:

• Heavy fuel oil is being transferred from the number 5 starboard tank on the Rena to the tanker Awanuia, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said
• Salvors began pumping at 6pm yesterday, MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Arthur Jobard said.
• By 7am they had removed 31 tonnes of oil and were exploring ways to speed up the rate of flow. This could include installing a 4^th hot tap and / or adding other pumps.
• Pumping is also underway to transfer the last of the lubricating oil from the Rena’s engine room storage tank to the Go Canopus.

Containers:

• Contractors Braemar Howells are continuing to remove debris from containers washed up on Motiti Island, and will be working at Mount Maunganui and at Matakana Island today.
• Braemar Howells has been contracted by Svitzer Salvage to recover containers and their contents washed overboard from the Rena in the storm 3 weeks ago. They have 2 vessels equipped with sonar, which are carrying out grid searches of the seabed, looking for sunken containers.
• Anyone finding containers or debris is asked to call 0800 OIL SPILL (0800 645 774) immediately.

Beach cleanup:

National On Scene Commander Rob Service said that shoreline assessments and clean-ups were continuing today, involving New Zealand Defence Force personnel, trained oil spill responders, iwi, contractors and volunteers.

Mr Service said that volunteers continued to make a valuable contribution to the oil spill response.

• There are 2 volunteer clean-ups today, at Papamoa and Maketu, and
• Volunteers are also supporting iwi on Matakana Island.

Wildlife:

• 5 little blue penguins were brought in to the oiled wildlife facility after overnight patrols on Motuotau Island (Rabbit Island), bringing the total number of birds in care to 407.
• Wildlife teams are patrolling again today, with 5 teams working between Waihi Beach and Opotiki, and on Motiti Island.

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 10 November 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111110a.asp

MV Rena - Grounding off the coast of Tauranga: Last updated 7.00am: 9 November 2011:

Rena update 83: 8 November 2011: 6.00pm

New Zealand Defence Force personnel use salt water to flush oil off rocks at the base of Mt Maunganui. 8 November

Salvage:

• More seawater is being pumped into the submerged number 5 starboard wing tank on the Rena to purge pockets of air that have so far prevented heavy fuel oil from being pumped onto the tanker Awanuia, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said.

• MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Kenny Crawford said that all the equipment was in place to start pumping oil once the air pockets had been eliminated. Divers placed a 3rd hot tap in the side of the tank this morning to increase the flow of seawater and the tank was being monitored continuously.

• 20 salvors are working on the Rena. As well as working on the number 5 starboard tank, they have removed over 20 tonnes of clean lubricating oil onto the barge Go Canopus. They are continuing to consolidate smaller parcels of engine oil from different compartments to pump them off the Rena.

Generators are used to pump salt water through hoses so it can mimic the effects of strong storms, dislodging oil from rocks at the base of Mt Maunganui. 8 November

Containers:

• Today the container barge Sea Tow 60 (ST60) conducted sea trials, which included laying anchors to test the mooring systems that will be used when the barge begins removing containers from the Rena. The trials were held well away from the Rena so as not to interfere with the oil removal, Mr Crawford said. Early indications were that the trials had gone well and the barge was returning to port late this afternoon.

• Container removal contractor Braemar Howells has 2 vessels conducting sonar sweeps of the seabed in areas where the water is 30m deep, or less. They are searching for containers that were lost overboard in the storm 3 weeks ago. Divers are checking items detected by the scans.

• Wreckage of 3 containers has been removed from the Hicks Bay and Waihau area. Another 2 containers are yet to be removed from Motiti Island.

Oil flushed off the rocks with salt water is caught in a holding pond like this one, where absorbent materials attract oil to prevent it returning to the sea. 8 November

Beach Cleaning:

• National On Scene Commander Rob Service said that 5 teams of New Zealand Defence Force personnel were working between Mount Maunganui and the Maketu Spit today, assessing the state of the beaches, while another contingent was continuing with rock flushing oil removal trials at Mount Maunganui.

• A report of a large amount of oil at Waihi Beach had proved to be an algal bloom, Mr Service said. “At this time of year when there are warm temperatures and calm seas, algal blooms are quite common. We expect to receive more reports of ‘oil’ that turn out to be algae, but we will always check them out to make sure.”

Although many beaches are open, Maritime New Zealand is cautioning people to be alert after the oil spill. 8 November

Wildlife:

• Teams from the oiled wildlife response have been patrolling beaches on the mainland and on Matakana Island again today, checking for oiled wildlife and responding to reports from the public.

• About 50 people are working at the oiled wildlife facility, taking care of the 400 birds that have been cleaned, and the 3 still being treated. Mr Service said that of the birds were little blue penguins, which are being hand fed twice a day as well as weighed and checked regularly.

MEDIA UPDATE: 6.50am 9 November 2011:

• The first aerial observation flight of the morning has reported no apparent change in the Rena's condition.

• A skeleton crew of salvors remained on board overnight and the day shift is being transferred on to the vessel now.

• MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Kenny Crawford said that salvors were "very hopeful" of beginning pumping heavy fuel oil from the submerged #5 starboard tank this morning.

• On shore, oil spill response activities will continue, involving NZ Defence Force personnel, trained oil spill responders, contractors and volunteers (2 events - Papamoa and Maketu)

• Oiled wildlife response teams will also be out again today.

MEDIA REMINDER:

• It is critical to safe operations that the aerial and marine exclusion zone around Rena is observed and respected.

• Entering the exclusion zone can seriously impact on the recovery operation and put those working on salvaging the ship at risk. It is also an offence to enter the exclusion zone and anyone found breaching this zone could be fined up to $20,000.

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 9 November 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111108b.asp

Grounding off the coast of Tauranga : Rena update 82 : 8 November 2011: 10.30am

Early light catches the cracked hull of the Rena and its lopsided cargo. 8 November

Salvage:

Salvors on the Rena are installing a 3rd hot tap into the submerged number 5 starboard wing tank to raise the pressure enough to enable oil to be pumped out, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said.

MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Kenny Crawford said the 3rd tap would enable more seawater to be pumped into the tank, raising the pressure sufficiently to enable oil to be pumped through the flange and along 150 metres of hose to the tanker Awanuia moored off the stern.

“The pumps are in place and the hoses are connected. Divers are working in the hold next to the tank installing the hot tap this morning so pumping can begin,” Mr Crawford said.

Locater beacons (called "pingers") have been attached to containers in precarious positions. 7 November

Containers:

• The container barge ST60 was towed out of port to begin sea trials this morning. The trials are to confirm its capability and stability.

• Operations to transfer containers from the Rena to the ST60 will only begin once all the oil has been removed from the vessel.

• Braemar Howells has 2 vessels conducting sonar sweeps of the sea floor to locate containers lost overboard during the storm 3 weeks ago.

Volunteers cleaning Papamoa beach in the 100th volunteer cleanup operation held since Rena gounded on Astrolabe Reef. 6 November

Beach cleanup:

Small particles of oil removed from the beach. 6 November

• National On Scene Commander Rob Service said that in the on-shore oil spill response, teams of people are continuing shoreline cleanup work today. This includes NZ Defence Force personnel working at Mount Maunganui, contractors at Harrison’s Cut and volunteers at Papamoa.

• Rock washing has begun at Mount Maunganui, using sea water to flush out pools of oil.

Oiled Wildlife Response teams work together to give penguins and other birds the best care. 7 November

Wildlife:

• One oiled little blue penguin was captured at Mount Maunganui overnight and is now being cared for at the Oiled Wildlife Facility.

• 2 teams are carrying out shoreline sweeps for further oiled wildlife on Motiti Island today, and other teams are working around the coast on the mainland and on Matakana Island.

A little blue penguin goes through the treatment programme at the Oiled Response Wildlife Centre. 7 November

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 8 October. 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111108a.asp

Grounding off the coast of Tauranga : Last updated 6.55am; 7 November 2011

Rena update 79 : 6 November 2011: 5.00pm

Salvage teams are pumping 22 tonnes of lubricating oil out of the Rena's engine room onto the barge Awanuia today.

This work is progressing alongside preparations to extract the remaining 358 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the vessel’s submerged starboard wing tank.

Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Kenny Crawford said that more than 20 salvors were working on board the Rena today, manhandling 3 tonnes of hoses, ladders and two large pumps in preparation for pumping. One of the pumps is now in position and the other is still to be placed.

This morning the salvors who are raising the oil level in the starboard tank by pumping in 750 tonnes of seawater, temporarily halted pumping while they vented fumes escaping from the tank. This took four to five hours, Mr Crawford said. Pumping seawater has now resumed.

Monitoring of the vessel’s hull has continued with no further significant buckling found today.

Underwater transponders have been fixed to four containers known to contain hazardous goods, so they can be easily located should they be lost overboard.

Assistant National On Scene Commander Andrew Berry said sonar scans of the seabed were continuing, to try and locate more of the containers which fell off the Rena in a storm three weeks ago. Several have been located on the seabed within 1km of the vessel. The container barge ST60 will begin trials in the Bay of Plenty this week but efforts to lift containers off the Rena will not begin until after the last of the oil has been removed.

On shore, 107 volunteers took part in the 100th beach clean-up event, held at Papamoa beach this morning. Another 40 volunteers turned out at Maketu and 12 at Te Tumu. Since the official volunteer coordination programme began, more than 4000 people have taken part in clean-ups. Mr Berry said their efforts were making a huge difference to the state of the beaches.

There will be 2 more volunteer clean-up operations tomorrow: at Maketu from 9am and at Papamoa from 10.30am.

Shoreline assessment teams are working at Mt Maunganui to decide the best methods to clean up more oil which has been reported there over recent days.

2 lightly oiled little blue penguins from Motiti Island were brought to the Oiled Wildlife Treatment facility today, bringing the total number of birds in care to 403.

Andrew Berry said that all the birds seemed to have coped well with sound from the speedway event last night. He thanked the speedway organisers and Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosbie for agreeing to cancel the fireworks display that would traditionally have ended the event.

Media update – 7 November 2011 6.55am

• There is no update yet on the status of the Rena this morning but Maritime New Zealand's first aerial observation flight of the day is underway.
• Similarly, there is no update available yet on progress with the salvage operation on board.
• As of last night, preparations were continuing to pump heavy fuel oil from the submerged Starboard 5 Wing Tank using the hot tapping technique. Salvors were also pumping 22 tonnes of lubricating oil to the Awanuia.

Information on both the ship's status and the salvage operation will be provided in the 10.30am press release.

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 7 November 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111106b.asp

Information for the Public: Bay of Plenty District Health Board

Oil has been found in the water and on the beaches along the Bay of Plenty coastline.  In affected areas, please stay away from the water and beaches.  Public health and local councils have erected signs on the beaches warning people to avoid contact with the water and shoreline.

Oil Contact:

Do NOT touch anything with oil on it or attempt to clean it up- it is toxic and should not be in direct contact with skin.

If you accidently come into contact with the oil:

• Wash it off with soap and water, baby oil or petroleum jelly.
• Do not use solvents, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel or similar products on your skin.
• Take reasonable precautions to avoid accidental ingestion (wash hands before eating).
• If you get oil on clothing, wash it in the usual way.
• If you get the oil in your eyes, rinse with water for 15 minutes.
• Breathing in the vapour can cause irritation in mouth, nose throat and lungs. Move out of the area as quickly as possible.                  

If symptoms persist, see your GP or Emergency Department for advice.

Oil Smell:

The oil spillage on the beaches combined with weather conditions can produce in some areas a noticeable smell in the areas of the beaches. If this occurs, the smell is likely to diminish over a period of one or two hours from the time the oil has reached the beach.  Some people in the vicinity may experience some physical discomfort so it is advised they should shut windows or avoid the immediate vicinity of the of the beaches and avoid all immediate or secondary contact with the oil spillage.  If anyone experiences any discomfort they should move away to an area of fresh air.

Shellfish, crustaceans, seaweed and kina:

With changing wind patterns and currents and ongoing oil spills from the Rena the seabed and shoreline areas affected by oil are likely to change on a daily basis.

The advice below is provided to help guide the public about the collection of any seafood such as shellfish (e.g. pipi, mussels, cockles, scallops, tuatua, oysters, paua), crustaceans (e.g. crayfish and crabs), seaweed and kina.

The advice is precautionary and conservative. Any seafood that has a petrol-like or fuel-like smell should definitely not be eaten. Some taints may become more apparent once seafood is cooked.

A shellfish sampling programme has started but will only provide reliable results on safe areas when the situation has stabilised and there is no further risk of new oil exposure. The advice below is based on the best available information and risk assessment, and will be updated as the situation unfolds. This includes consideration of other possible sources of hazard - such as toxic substances from lost containers.

Shellfish Zone Map - Red, Amber and Green

Shellfish, crustaceans, seaweed and kina: Red Zone

The red zone includes all areas that:

• Are known to have current oil contamination; or,
• Are known to have had recent oil contamination even if it has been cleaned up; or,
• Have health warning signage; or,
• Are closed to the public; or,
• Have recently been closed to the public; or,
• Have a high risk of oil being found on them.

The red zone (as at October 21) currently extends from:

• Waihi Beach in the west to the entrance to Ohiwa Harbour in the east. (It should be noted that there is existing advice about not taking shellfish from Tauranga Harbour and the Waihi Estuary due to the possible presence of pathogens such as norovirus.)
• It includes inshore islands, rocky outcrops and estuaries in these areas.
• Specifically, it also includes Matakana Island, Motiti Island and Whale Island.

The public are advised not to collect shellfish, crayfish or crabs in these areas until further notice.

Shellfish, crustaceans, seaweed and kina: Amber Zone

The amber zone includes areas where there are not yet confirmed reports of oil but there is a high risk of new oil contamination being found. In some of these areas oil contaminated debris from the Rena has been found.

The amber zone includes the coastline from:

• The Ohiwa Harbour entrance to Cape Runaway;
• It includes inshore islands, Ohiwa harbour, rocky outcrops and estuaries in these areas.

The public are advised that shellfish, crustaceans and kina in these areas are at significant risk of oil contamination and ideally should not be collected. Any seafood that has a petrol-like or fuel-like smell should definitely not be eaten.

Please report immediately any observed oil contamination in these areas to 0800 OIL SPILL.

Shellfish, crustaceans, seaweed and kina: Green Zone

Shellfish, crustaceans and kina may be taken from these areas but please exercise caution. To date neither oil nor debris from the Rena has been identified on this coast but that could change at any time. Be vigilant for signs of oil contamination. If there are any signs of oil contamination on the beach or on rocks, or a petrol-like or fuel-like smell is present, seafood should not be taken or consumed. Any seafood that has a petrol-like or fuel-like smell should definitely not be eaten.

The green zone includes:

• The east coast of the Coromandel peninsula north from Waihi Beach

Please report immediately any observed oil contamination in these areas to 0800 OIL SPILL (0800 645 774).

Recreational fishing:

The current shipping exclusion zone should not be fished in.

Outside of this area we specifically advise against taking fish from:

• Any area that has visible or known oil contamination
• Any area that has had recent oil contamination even if it has been cleaned up
• Any area where there is signage advising against fishing.

Any fish that have a petrol-like or fuel-like smell should definitely not be eaten.

Recreational water use / watersport:

Please refer to the Maritime New Zealand website (http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Incident/QandA.asp#public) to identify the:

• maritime exclusion zone
• closed boat ramps
• beaches that are closed to recreational activity

In other areas the public are advised to exercise caution.

• Sports such as kayaking and boating where there is unlikely to be contact with floating oil are likely to be safe but vigilance is required.
• People should be especially vigilant with sports such as swimming and avoid any unnecessary exposure.
• If you do smell or see oil in the water we suggest you leave the area.

Containers:

Containers have fallen off the ship and they (and their contents) have been coming onto the shore in affected areas.

• Please do not handle or consume the contents from the containers.  For the latest updates on the containers, visit the Maritime website.

Volunteering:

• We recommend that you stay away from the affected beaches, but if you do wish to volunteer, we recommend you do it through the official channels. Please complete the online volunteer oil recovery responders registration form or call 0800 645 774.

While no additional health risk has been identified, we recommend as a general precaution that pregnant or breastfeeding mothers avoid unnecessary exposure and do not assist with the oil spill clean up.

Questions & Answers:

How can I avoid the health threats of oil?

The best way to avoid health problems from oil is to A-C-T!

That stands for Avoid, Clean, Treat.

A: Avoid it!

• When possible, avoid coming into contact with oil. 

• If you may come in contact with oil, wear gloves, eye protection, and clothing that cover your arms and legs.

In the unlikely event that you breathe in vapours you may experience coughing and irritation of your mouth, nose, throat and lungs. Odours from the decaying oil may cause nausea, but this should stop when you leave the area. Under unusual circumstances that we don’t generally expect, some people with pre-existing conditions may feel short of breath or develop dizziness, or tightness or in the chest. You should consult your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department anytime you experience these kinds of symptoms.

C: Clean it off!

• If you get oil on your skin, wash with soap and water, baby oil, petroleum jelly, or a cleaning paste for hands such as those sold at auto parts stores. Do not use solvents, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, or similar products to clean oil off skin.
• If you get oil in your eyes, rinse them with water for 15 minutes.

T: Treat any symptoms!

• If you inhale oil vapours, or smoke from burning oil, move to an area where the air is more clear.

Get medical help if you:

• Develop a rash or have an allergic reaction.
• Swallow oil. Do not try to vomit as this may get oil into the lungs.
• Feel short of breath, have chest pain or tightness, or dizziness.
• Have persistant eye symptoms after washing the oil out.

What are the health threats of oil when it reaches the shore?

• For most people, brief contact with a small amount of oil will do no harm. The oil may cause a rash, skin irritation or other allergic reactions. It can irritate your skin, so you should wash it off as soon as possible. It can also irritate the eyes.

• Skin contact with oil over a longer period of time can cause red skin, swelling, and burning. Skin effects may get worse if the skin is exposed to the sun.

• Some people may be bothered by the odours from the oil and may feel dizzy, or nauseated as a reaction to the smell. Even if the oil smells bad, it should not cause health problems. However, if you do continue to experience the symptoms after you get away from the smell, or you experience any other health problems you should get medical advice.

• Swallowing small amounts of oil like one might experience after swimming in a contaminated area may cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea in some people. However such an exposure is generally not likely to cause prolonged health effects after the initial bout is over. Regardless, you should contact your doctor if you have concerns after swimming in areas where local authorities have posted beach advisories or you saw oil or tarballs on the beach.

• Some cleaning activities, such as water blasting, can send small oil droplets into the air, where they can be breathed in or land on the eyes, face, or skin. Anyone near activities like these should wear protective clothing and respirators to protect their skin and lungs.

Source: Toi Te Ora Public Health Services. 22 October 2011

http://www.toiteorapublichealth.govt.nz/rena_public