Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Monday, October 2, 2023
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    Future Maritime Leaders

    Danish Shipping works with IMO for a safer, greener shipping

    UK MAIB Safety Digest 2023, 2nd Edition

    UK MAIB Safety Digest 2023, 2nd Edition

    londons insurance markets

    Gard: Risk mitigation measures for high risk areas

    Trauma-informed approach key to appropriate and effective casualty investigations

    Trauma-informed approach key to appropriate and effective casualty investigations

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    thinking out of the box

    Thinking out of the box: 5 tips for creative thinking

    Practicing gratitude can change your life

    Practicing gratitude can change your life

    Always do what your gut tells you: Keep it healthy

    Always do what your gut tells you: Keep it healthy

    Book Review: A role model for ship managers

    Book Review: How we perceive and deal with luck in life and business

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    LR, Cargill, Minerva Dry and NACKS team up on methanol bulk carrier

    LR, Cargill, Minerva Dry and NACKS team up on methanol bulk carrier

    Future Maritime Leaders

    Danish Shipping works with IMO for a safer, greener shipping

    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    X-Press Feeders orders six methanol dual-fuel containerships

    Tsunesihi Shipbuilding receives more orders for methanol-fueled vessels

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    IACS enhances requirements on cyber security

    IACS enhances requirements on cyber security

    New 3D printing joint venture for shipping industry

    New 3D printing joint venture for shipping industry

    Jotun Hellas pioneers vessel maintenance and safety with novel Aerial Drone Inspection Service

    Jotun Hellas pioneers vessel maintenance and safety with novel Aerial Drone Inspection Service

    OneCare Solutions releases groundbreaking mobile app with holistic approach to seafarer wellbeing

    OneCare Solutions releases groundbreaking mobile app with holistic approach to seafarer wellbeing

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    indian seafarers prison

    Cruise captain jailed for 5 years in fatal Hungary boat accident

    canada shipwreck

    Ghana imposes strict PSC and fines over MARPOL violations

    ClassNK amends its rules on construction of steel ships

    Liberia: How to comply with PSC focus on firefighting and clean machinery spaces

    orange county oil spill fines

    Crude oil tanker to pay 88 crores for damaging Haldia oil jetty

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    Panama Canal

    Panama Canal to allow 31 transits per day, starting November 1st

    Port of London welcomes world’s first green methanol container vessel

    Port of London welcomes world’s first green methanol container vessel

    nord stream

    Baltic Exchange: Maritime market highlights 25 – 29 September

  • Columns
    Safeguarding seafarer welfare in an era of decarbonisation

    Safeguarding seafarer welfare in an era of decarbonisation

    AD Ports, Karachi Port Trust sign MoU to develop terminal infrastructure

    Decarbonising UK freight: the UK coastal shipping opportunity

    Gard Club: Industry needs to mature and learn from incidents and human errors

    Gard Club: Industry needs to mature and learn from incidents and human errors

    Trending Tags

    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Wellness Corner
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    Future Maritime Leaders

    Danish Shipping works with IMO for a safer, greener shipping

    UK MAIB Safety Digest 2023, 2nd Edition

    UK MAIB Safety Digest 2023, 2nd Edition

    londons insurance markets

    Gard: Risk mitigation measures for high risk areas

    Trauma-informed approach key to appropriate and effective casualty investigations

    Trauma-informed approach key to appropriate and effective casualty investigations

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    thinking out of the box

    Thinking out of the box: 5 tips for creative thinking

    Practicing gratitude can change your life

    Practicing gratitude can change your life

    Always do what your gut tells you: Keep it healthy

    Always do what your gut tells you: Keep it healthy

    Book Review: A role model for ship managers

    Book Review: How we perceive and deal with luck in life and business

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    LR, Cargill, Minerva Dry and NACKS team up on methanol bulk carrier

    LR, Cargill, Minerva Dry and NACKS team up on methanol bulk carrier

    Future Maritime Leaders

    Danish Shipping works with IMO for a safer, greener shipping

    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    X-Press Feeders orders six methanol dual-fuel containerships

    Tsunesihi Shipbuilding receives more orders for methanol-fueled vessels

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    IACS enhances requirements on cyber security

    IACS enhances requirements on cyber security

    New 3D printing joint venture for shipping industry

    New 3D printing joint venture for shipping industry

    Jotun Hellas pioneers vessel maintenance and safety with novel Aerial Drone Inspection Service

    Jotun Hellas pioneers vessel maintenance and safety with novel Aerial Drone Inspection Service

    OneCare Solutions releases groundbreaking mobile app with holistic approach to seafarer wellbeing

    OneCare Solutions releases groundbreaking mobile app with holistic approach to seafarer wellbeing

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    indian seafarers prison

    Cruise captain jailed for 5 years in fatal Hungary boat accident

    canada shipwreck

    Ghana imposes strict PSC and fines over MARPOL violations

    ClassNK amends its rules on construction of steel ships

    Liberia: How to comply with PSC focus on firefighting and clean machinery spaces

    orange county oil spill fines

    Crude oil tanker to pay 88 crores for damaging Haldia oil jetty

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    Cepsa begins distributing biofuels at the Port of Barcelona

    Panama Canal

    Panama Canal to allow 31 transits per day, starting November 1st

    Port of London welcomes world’s first green methanol container vessel

    Port of London welcomes world’s first green methanol container vessel

    nord stream

    Baltic Exchange: Maritime market highlights 25 – 29 September

  • Columns
    Safeguarding seafarer welfare in an era of decarbonisation

    Safeguarding seafarer welfare in an era of decarbonisation

    AD Ports, Karachi Port Trust sign MoU to develop terminal infrastructure

    Decarbonising UK freight: the UK coastal shipping opportunity

    Gard Club: Industry needs to mature and learn from incidents and human errors

    Gard Club: Industry needs to mature and learn from incidents and human errors

    Trending Tags

    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Wellness Corner
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

Learn from the past: Erika oil spill, Europe’s environmental disaster

by The Editorial Team
December 12, 2018
in Accidents, Maritime Knowledge
erika oil spill
FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

On 12 December 1999, the Erika, a 25 year-old single-hull oil tanker, broke in two off France, polluting almost 400 km of French coastline and causing unprecedented damage to marine environment, claiming the title of one of the most major environmental disasters of recent years.

The incident

On 8 December 1999, the Maltese-flagged tanker Erika, departed Dunkerque bound for Livorno, carrying around 31,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.

In the early afternoon of the 11th December 1999, Erika experienced a structural failure as she was crossing the Bay of Biscay in heavy weather. The vessel first began to list heavily and then, after the list was corrected, broke in two on 12 December, some 40 nautical miles off the southern tip of Brittany.

RelatedNews

UK MAIB Safety Digest 2023, 2nd Edition

Watch: How shipping companies endorse inhumane working conditions in Bangladesh

As a result, the vessel foundered some 30 nautical miles south of the Pointe de Penmarch, causing major oil spill in French waters.

The entire crew was rescued without injury after a rescue operation carried out by the French navy with CROSSA.

Environmental consequences

The damage caused to the environment and the exceptionally high cost of the damage caused to fisheries and tourism make the Erika oil spill an environmental tragedy.

As a result of the sinking, a large proportion of the vessel’s cargo and bunkers spilled into the sea. Namely, according to ITOPF data, during the cleanup operation, between 190,000 and 200,000 tonnes of oily waste was collected from shorelines and temporarily stockpiled.

In the days following the crash, French planes tracked the oil slicks drifting at sea, one of which was 15 km long.

Even worse, the heavy weather with tides and currents made some of the slicks to “throw up very high on the foreshore, turning the spill into an ecological catastrophe.

‘It was very difficult to contain this pollution because of the type of cargo being carried and because of the severe weather conditions and it eventually soiled several hundred kilometres of coastline from Brittany down to the Ile de Ré,’

…according to the official report of Permanent Commission of enquiry into accidents at sea (CPEM).

The oil pollution affected about 400 km of coastline. The main environmental impact of the spill was on sea birds. Almost 74,000 oiled birds were recorded ashore along the coast of the Bay of Biscay, of which almost 42,000 were dead, making Erika to claim he tile of the ‘biggest ever ecological disaster for Europe’s seabirds.’

Did you know?

  • It has been estimated that less than 3% of the total spill volume was collected during the response operations at sea.
  • Mostly contaminated areas were located in Loire Atlantique, the northern Vendée and on offshore islands, notably Belle Ile.
  • Due to the long time that the oil spent at sea, much of it formed a water-in-oil emulsion, which significantly increased its volume and viscosity.
  • The French Court assessed the total damages for civil parties at the amount of €192.8 million.
  • Apart from the fines imposed and cleanup costs, the owner made voluntary payments to the majority of the civil parties, including the French Government, for a total of €171.3 million.
  • Ironically, France has been again a major victim of oil and gas industry in 1978, when the Liberian-flagged VLCC Amoco Cadiz, transporting crude oil, ran aground in March 1978 off the coast of Brittany, resulting in the largest oil spill of its kind in history to that date.

Probable causes

The French appeals court in March 2010 confirmed the ruling stating that “the accident was a direct consequence of corrosion on the boat directly related to the lack of servicing.”

As the official CPEM report emphasizes, the ERIKA was certainly an old ship, but she was used above all for transporting black products at freight rates which were insufficient to cover costs, unless these costs, including maintenance costs, were drastically reduced.

The ERIKA had always been “sensitive” to corrosion, but she really began to fall into disrepair when No.4 tanks and especially No.2 wing tanks became dedicated ballast tanks.

Built in 1975, the ship was of single hull design without segregated ballast tanks. However, in 1990, as she was not fitted with a crude oil washing system, four of her tanks – Nos 2 and 4 lateral ballast tanks– were first converted into clean ballast tanks. In 1993, the No.2 clean ballast tanks (CBT) were transformed into dedicated sea water ballast tanks, thereby becoming segregated ballast tanks (SBT). No.4 centre CBT was not assigned the same usage until 1997 and was eventually replaced by No.4 lateral tanks following the work carried out in the shipyard in 1998.

This work was also a decisive factor in the sequence of events leading up to the casualty, the report concludes. Modifications of the stress distribution in the hull may have resulted from the work carried out due to:

  • the use of steel plating of differing, smaller scantlings;
  • rash decisions as to the positions of the cut outs made in the structures, in the plating and the bulkheads;
  • errors of accuracy in assembly, in the quality of the welding etc.

The weakening of the structure of section No.2 of the Erika was thus due to insufficient maintenance and the corresponding rapid development of corrosion, leading to a succession of ruptures which caused the whole structure to collapse, when the ship encountered heavy weather.

This factor was decisive; to such an extent that the other factors can be considered as secondary. In short, the state of the vessel and her rapid deterioration in the last hours of her life were such that nothing could have prevented the disaster.

 

Liability

In 2008, French court ruled that the owner was “guilty of negligence” for the sinking and ordered it to pay millions of euros in damages for the environmental disaster. The oil major was fined 375,000 euros ($556,100) and told to pay a share of 192 million euros in damages to civil parties, including the French state.

Additionally, the ships’ classification society, also held guilty of imprudence and was fined another 375,000 euros.

The representative of the shipowner and the president of the management company were sentenced to pay a fine of €75 000 each.

The Erika trial was one of the biggest environmental cases to come to court in France, noting a landmark for environmental groups as it recognized that a polluter could be liable for the ecological damage caused by oil spills. Eleven others, including the ship’s captain, were found not guilty.

In March 2010, the owner lost their appeal to overturn the court’s decision.

The organization has so far paid more than EUR 172 million in compensation and 200 million to clean up the spill.

Lessons learned

Erika oil spill vastly engaged public concern about the safety of maritime transport, highlighting the risk associated with old and poorly maintained ships and the necessity of regulatory harmonization and enforcement of maritime safety.

The accident triggered EU to adopt a series of stringent preventive legislation, known as the Erika I and II packages, acting as the ‘Final push for Single Hull Tanker Regulations’.

As such, the major casualty became a good example of how public anger can pave the way for change and ensure that people learn from oil spills. According to a 2010 paper, the Erika disaster was ‘a great example of how people can learn quickly from their mistakes’.

While there was some start in the right direction by eliminating single‐hull ships after Exxon Valdez, there was a uniform effort to push that through quickly after the Erika.

The ruling also created a legal argument that polluters should pay compensation for environmental damage. Erika, in a way, established accountability in environmental crimes, drawing attention in what we should already have known: That companies will be held accountable by both the public and the law if found guilty of environmental damage.

LEARN FROM THE PAST: Read in this series

general average

Ever Given: The grounding that changed the world’s view of shipping

March 28, 2023
Marine Electric

40 years passed since the SS Marine Electric sinking

February 15, 2023
Lusitania: The maritime disaster that changed World War I

Lusitania: The maritime disaster that changed World War I

September 12, 2022
rms empress of ireland

RMS Empress of Ireland: Remembering Canada’s worst maritime disaster

July 20, 2022
Halifax Harbour: One of the largest human-made explosions caused by ships’ collision

Halifax Harbour: One of the largest human-made explosions caused by ships’ collision

May 10, 2022
Sinking of Doña Paz: The world’s deadliest shipping accident

Sinking of Doña Paz: The world’s deadliest shipping accident

March 8, 2022
Wilhelm Gustloff: A forgotten ‘war loss’ of over 9,000 people

Wilhelm Gustloff: A forgotten ‘war loss’ of over 9,000 people

February 14, 2022
Scandinavian Star ferry

Tampomas II: Remembering Indonesia’s deadly ferry sinking

February 10, 2022
Hoegh Osaka accident is a stark warning accident

Hoegh Osaka: Assessing ship stability must not be neglected

January 10, 2022
MV Derbyshire

MV Derbyshire: Remembering largest British ship ever lost at sea

October 4, 2021
Titanic SOLAS

Remembering Titanic: The tragedy behind SOLAS

April 12, 2021
wakashio

MV Wakashio oil spill: A timeline of events in an environmental disaster

February 11, 2021
princess of the orient

Princess of the Orient: Erroneous maneuvering leads to deadly sinking

December 10, 2019
Achille Lauro

Achille Lauro hijacking: A tragic example of maritime terrorism

December 10, 2019
al salam boccaccio 98

Al-Salam Boccaccio 98: Bad weather, poor emergency procedures and over 1,000 people dead in Red Sea

November 28, 2019
Alexander L Kielland

Alexander L. Kielland: Norway’s worst offshore disaster

November 19, 2019
USS Fitzgerald

USS Fitzgerald deadly collision: Poor seamanship in the spotlight

October 22, 2019
piper alpha

Piper Alpha: The world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster

October 17, 2019
amoco cadiz

Amoco Cadiz oil spill: The largest loss of marine life ever

October 8, 2019
estonia sinking

MS Estonia sinking: One of the deadliest accidents in European waters

October 4, 2019
torrey canyon

Torrey Canyon: The world’s first major oil tanker disaster

October 3, 2019
Sanchi

Sanchi: The world’s worst oil tanker disaster in decades

September 27, 2019
el faro

El Faro sinking: Poor seamanship in the spotlight

September 25, 2019
uss john s mccain

USS John S McCain collision: A prime example of poor oversight

September 23, 2019
bulk jupiter

Bulk Jupiter sinking: A stark reminder of bauxite cargo risks

September 20, 2019
ovit grounding

Ovit grounding: ECDIS incompetence and inexperienced crew in vital positions

June 7, 2019
oliva

MS Oliva grounding: Oil spill in one of the world’s most remote areas

May 27, 2019
Cosco Busan

Cosco Busan: Lack of communication, poor oversight and 53,500 gallons of oil in San Francisco Bay

May 21, 2019
viking islay

Viking Islay enclosed space fatalities: Rescuers becoming victims

May 20, 2019
pasha bulker

Pasha Bulker beaching: A mix of poor SMS, fatigue and bad weather

May 17, 2019
bourbon dolphin

Bourbon Dolphin: A tragic example of ISM non-compliance

May 14, 2019
harvest caroline

Harvest Caroline: A case study on improper safety management

May 10, 2019
cougar ace

Cougar Ace: How improper ballast water exchange can prove costly

May 8, 2019
herald of free enterprise

Herald of Free Enterprise: A wake-up call for Ro-Ro safety

April 25, 2019
MT Haven

MT Haven: The worst oil spill ever in the Mediterranean

April 18, 2019
sewol

Sewol sinking: South Korea’s ferry disaster

April 16, 2019
Moby Prince

Moby Prince: Italy’s worst maritime disaster since World War II

April 10, 2019
Stellar Daisy

Learn from the past: Stellar Daisy sinking

April 1, 2019
Superferry14

Superferry14: The world’s deadliest terrorist attack at sea

February 27, 2019
Scandinavian Star ferry

Ocean Ranger: Commemorating North America’s offshore disaster

February 15, 2019
Marine Electric

Marine Electric: The sinking that changed USCG approach on safety

February 12, 2019
erika oil spill

Learn from the past: Erika oil spill, Europe’s environmental disaster

December 12, 2018
prestige sinking

Learn from the past: Prestige sinking, one of the worst oil spills in Europe

November 13, 2018
salvage of mega box ships

Learn from the past: MV Rena grounding

October 29, 2018
eurasian dream

Maritime History: Fire on board car carrier “Eurasian Dream”

July 23, 2018
princess of the stars

Learn from the past: The Princess of the Seas deadly sinking

June 22, 2018
offshore safety rules

Learn from the past: Deepwater Horizon oil spill

April 20, 2018
Scandinavian Star ferry

Learn from the past: Exxon Valdez incident

March 23, 2018
Scandinavian Star ferry

Learn from the past: Bow Mariner incident

February 28, 2018
Costa Concordia

Maritime history: Costa Concordia disaster

January 13, 2018
Tags: ErikafinesFrancelessons learnedmarine pollutionMaritime Historyoil spilltankersvessel sinksvideos
Previous Post

China focuses on improving maritime transportation of LNG

Next Post

Watch: The woman behind an innovative cruise ship

Related News

lessons learned
Accidents

Lessons learned: ENCs can be inaccurate for many reasons

September 29, 2023
lessons learned Nautical
Accidents

Lessons learned: Crew should be aware of the most efficient fire fighting methods

September 29, 2023
World Maritime Day 2023: Celebrating 50 years of MARPOL
Shipping

World Maritime Day 2023: Celebrating 50 years of MARPOL

September 28, 2023
UNCTAD: Review of Maritime Transport 2023
Shipping

UNCTAD: Review of Maritime Transport 2023

September 27, 2023
Lessons learned: Ensure proper signage and physical barriers are in place where required
Accidents

Lessons learned: Always wear lifejacket for better safety management

September 27, 2023
Safety Flash
Accidents

Lessons learned: Don’t let your ‘Can Do’ attitude lead you into a dangerous position

September 25, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Houston Ship Channel

Houston Pilots: Vessels must override their power limiter to avoid navigational risks

September 29, 2023
NATO phonetic alphabet

Do you know what NATO phonetic alphabet is?

November 24, 2020
MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • SEAFiT
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Contact

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Opinions
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Wellness Corner
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Disclaimer.