Council takes action over wreck

BRITTANY regional council is taking legal action after the shipwreck of a Maltese freighter on a Morbihan beach caused pollution.

The council has said it is making a formal complaint to a court against persons unknown.

The Brest public prosecutor has opened an inquiry into why the TK Bremen was allowed to leave Lorient at a time when other ships were staying in port. The accident happened during bad weather associated with Storm Joachim on Friday.

The freighter, which had 190 tonnes of fuel on board, came aground on the beach at Kerminihy, causing pollution limited to the mouth of the Ria d’Etel (Morbihan), between Lorient and the Quiberon peninsula.

More than 200 firefighters and other emergency service workers had to be deployed for the clean-up, helped by volunteers. Operations to pump oil out of the ship are expected to continue for several days.

The president of Brittany, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said: “12 years ago, almost day for day, the Erika sank off Brittany with its tanks loaded with fuel oil. While all Bretons still have these images in their heads, the nightmare has been repeated.

“It is because the council is very attached to the protection of its coast and the preservation of its natural spaces, too often dirtied by deliberate pollution, that we have decided to take legal action.”

There is disagreement between ecological campaigners Robin des Bois and the port’s officials over whether or not the officials should have been able to use certain procedures to prevent the tanker leaving port.

Ecology Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Moriset says she is considering giving port authorities more power to stop boats going out for reasons linked to the weather; however she said she would wait for the results of the inquiry.