Shipping firm deploys specialist contractors following River Tyne plastic pellet spill
Specialist contractors have been deployed by a shipping company following a nurdle spill in the River Tyne.
The head of an offshore wind company has confirmed that specialist contractors have been deployed in the North East as the plastic pellet clean up operation continues across the region.
The pellets, known as ‘nurdles’, spilled into the River Tyne after the Wind Orca vessel collided with the berthed container ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne on Sunday, July 19.
Since then, the nurdles have been washing up on beaches across the North East is various councils look to contain the spread of the pellets.
Last week, Kim McGuinness, the North East Mayor, wrote to the heads of Cadeler A/S, owner of the Wind Orca, and Nordic Hamburg Shipmgmt GmbH, owner of BG Orange, demanding that they foot the costs of the clean up operation.
The North East Mayor called on the companies to start to contribute to the costs of the clean up rather than waiting for the outcome of an investigation.
Specialist resources have been deployed
In response to Mrs McGuinness, Mikkel Gleerup, Chief Executive Officer of Cadeler A/S, has confirmed to the North East Mayor that specialist contractors have been deployed to help with the clean up operation.
He said: “As I lead a company dedicated solely to offshore wind installation and the advancement of renewable energy, I recognise and share the deep concern felt by your constituents about the potential environmental impact of the nurdles that have spilled into the River Tyne and dispersed nroth and south of the Tyne estuary.
“The specialist pollution response is being coordinated through the owners and insurers of BG Orange, with whom Cadeler and our own insurers are in direct contact.
“I recognise that the pace of the initial mobilisation of specialist contractors has not met community expectations.
“Cadeler shares the view that time is of the essence, and we are pleased to see that significant specialist resources are now deployed.
“We remain engaged with those leading the response and committed to supporting a coordinated effort to minimise the impact on the environment and local communities.”
Mayor vows to continue holding shipping companies to account
After receiving the letter from Mr Gleerup, the North East Mayor has branded the deploying of contractors as a “great start” but vowed to continue to hold them to account.
She said: “It’s crucial that the shipping firms responsible for spilling plastic nurdle pollution on our precious beaches pay for the clean up.
“I wrote to them last week to make sure they do, particularly in the light of the huge volunteer and council operation already underway.
“They now have dedicated contractors working on the clean up and they’ve admitted they need to move faster.
“This is a great start but I’ll continue to hold them to that and push to make sure they continue with this until the clean up is complete.
“Huge thanks to everyone out there working to restore the beaches we are so very proud of back to normal.”
The Environment Agency has also stated that it will carry out a “thorough investigation” to establish the circumstances surrounding the nurdle spill and has pledged that the “polluter pays” principle will see those responsible covering the cost of the clean up operation.
You can view Mr Gleerup’s full response to the North East Mayor by clicking here.