Cleaning up after oil and chemical spills
Care needs to be taken in cleaning oil from the shoreline, boats and marine structures, and that the cleaning process does not contribute adversely to the environmental impact already caused by the spill.
Shoreline cleaning will normally be undertaken under the direction of a local authority's shoreline response centre which will be liaising with an environment group, including representatives of MFA advising on the incident response. This helps ensure that, for example, that important shellfish beds are protected and that bird populations remain undisturbed by the clean up.
Recreational yachts and waterside businesses could also have become affected by oil. If cleaning up takes place in such a manner that run off reaches the river or sea, it is important that some common chemicals such as washing up liquids and bleaches are not used as they can destroy marine life due to their antibacterial properties or toxicity.
Advice on cleaning boats can be found on the GreenBlue website.