Rena Oil Pumps Work Day and Night

A team of nine salvors resumed pumping oil off Rena at 12.09 on 20th October 2011. Salvors will remain onboard overnight to continue pumping. Oil pumping ceased at 11.30pm on Monday night, due to poor weather conditions, and this is the first time operations have been able to resume. A number of safety checks needed to be carried out today before pumping could begin, as this is an extremely involved and highly complex operation.  

 

There was no reported change in Rena's situation overnight. A team of three salvors re-boarded the vessel this morning to carry out a general safety assessment, before more salvors came on board to reconnect oil transfer equipment.

 

With poor weather on 19^th October preventing salvors from pumping oil off the vessel, teams spent Wednesday preparing equipment, including generators, pumps and additional work platforms, in anticipation of being able to resume work on the following day.

 

Sonar is being used to find containers that have fallen overboard.

 

Volunteer beach clean-ups have resumed at the Main Mount Maunganui beach and Maketu, and a site manager training session was held today at Omanu Beach. Clean-up operations coordinated through local iwi are also underway along the eastern coastline, where some oil and debris has come ashore as far as the East Cape. According to National On Scene Commander Ian Niblock there are no reports of new oil on beaches or from the vessel Rena, however oiled debris has washed up in parts of the East Cape.

 

An online training video has been developed to supplement induction for volunteers wanting to assist with official, coordinated beach clean-up activities.