Mining operations continue while more than 500 tonnes of fuel oil remain on board MV Solomon Trader, almost a month after it ran aground

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The environmental damage from an oil spill in the Solomon Islands has been worsened by a bauxite mining company’s continued loading operations near the site where a $30m bulk carrier went aground last month.

The Solomon Islands government has sought urgent help from Australia to deal with the environmental disaster because of frustrations at the slow progress in dealing with the spill.

The MV Solomon Trader had been loading bauxite from a mine on Rennell Island before cyclone Oma pushed it aground on a coral reef on 5 February.

Seventy-five tonnes of fuel oil have so far leaked into the ocean. The 225-metre ship was carrying up to 600 tonnes of fuel oil as well as a full load of bauxite, the main ore used to make aluminium.

The clean-up operation could take months, and may require further assistance from countries such as Australia.

“Once it hits rock the heavy fuel oil is effectively like a bitumen-like substance and has to be removed by hand,” a source in the Solomon Islands with knowledge of the incident said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Oil has washed onto shore from the Solomon Trader spill. Photograph: Supplied

The oil is yet to reach East Rennell, the largest raised coral atoll in the world and a world heritage site. Since 2013 the site has been on a Unesco danger list because of logging and overfishing.

Authorities are concerned the ship is at risk of breaking upwhile Bintan Mining Solomon Islands Limited, the Indonesian company that chartered the vessel, continues to load bauxite with other bulk carriers.

“Bauxite extraction and loading is continuing in the bay, that is further churning up the oil,” a source said.

The Solomon Islands government is expected to demand the company cease operations. Officials from the Solomons maritime administration interviewed mining management on Thursday afternoon in Honiara.

A spokeswoman for the company confirmed its operations were continuing.

“Yes we are continuing,” she said.

She said salvage efforts were under way gave no further details.

An insurance company has engaged a salvage company in the Solomon Islands to handle the ship, which is owned by a Hong Kong company, South Express Ltd, but so far the rest of the oil remains on board.

“All of the evidence indicates very little prospect of imminent action that would involve getting the oil off the vessel and preventing the ongoing spill,” the source said.

It has also been reported that local villagers have been looting the ship for equipment.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has updated travel advice warning people to reconsider the need to travel to Rennell Island because “heavy fuel oil is a toxic substance” and exposure to it posed a health risk.

The Unesco World Heritage Centre this week expressed concerned about the impact of the oil spill. It was working with the Solomon authorities to minimise the impact of the spill.

Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority has carried out surveillance flights and deployed several officials to the disaster zone.