French Riviera launches clean-up as oil spill reaches beaches

Ramatuelle Oil SpillSome of France’s spectacular Riviera beaches have been shut as volunteers with shovels and sacks try to rid the coastline of a thick oily residue that washed ashore after two ships collided off Corsica earlier in October.

The clean-up operation is taking place on beaches in the glitzy resort of Saint-Tropez and nearby Ramatuelle, where pristine waters and mountainous backdrops draw tycoons and A-list celebrities.

“Last year it was forest fires, now the pollution is coming from the sea,” said Roland Bruno, mayor of Ramatuelle. “In spite of our misfortune, at least it’s happened in October, when the tourist season is behind us.”

The collision occurred on Oct 8 when a Tunisian ship rammed into the side of a larger Cypriot container ship. Fuel leaked from the tanks of the bigger vessel.

Workers in white cotton overalls and rubber boosts combed the shorelines with forks, plucking black tar from the sands into large orange sacks.

Visit our Oil Spill Remediation Services page here.

Source: The Medi Telegraph

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