Cleaning up after oil and chemical spills
When cleaning up after oil and chemical spills, care needs to be taken to make sure that this process does not cause further damage to the environment, in addition to that already caused by the spill.
Shoreline cleaning will normally take place under the direction of a local authority's shoreline response centre. They will liaise with an environment group (EG), including representatives of the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA), who will advise on the appropriate response to the incident. The role of an EG is to make sure that important shellfish beds are protected and that bird populations remain undisturbed by the clean up as far as possible.
Recreational yachts and apparatus owned by waterside businesses may also be damaged or contaminated by an oil or chemical spill. Caution must be taken when selecting chemicals for cleaning, particularly if there is a chance that runoff may reach the river or sea. Some common chemicals, for example washing up liquids and bleaches, can destroy marine life due to their antibacterial and toxic properties.
Advice on cleaning boats can be found on the Green Blue website.