North Tyneside's Elected Mayor Karen Clark has said that the Port of Tyne's response to the spill of 'one billion nurdles' into the River Tyne 'should have been faster'. The small plastic pellets, used to make plastic products such as bottles, have been washing up on the region's shoreline after a collision between the Wind Orca and the BG Orange on Sunday.
Port of Tyne's response and clean-up efforts
Port of Tyne said on Thursday morning that it instigated its response plan immediately after learning about the spill and that several measures had been put in place in the last 48 hours. It also has put a boom around the BG Orange with the aim of preventing further spills, and several boats are on the river to clear pellets.
It is estimated that 25 tonnes, equivalent to around one billion of the pellets, have entered the river since the collision. Council teams and volunteers have been attempting to clear the pellets off beaches round the clock, but more are washing up with every new tide.
Mayor's concerns and call for answers
Ms Clark said in a statement: "I know many residents are worried and frustrated and I share those concerns. Every new tide is bringing more of these plastic pellets ashore, making what is already a difficult clean-up even more challenging."
The mayor added that there had been progress, and acknowledged that the Port of Tyne has acted to secure the vessel. She added that specialist contractors had been brought in to support the clean-up following pressure from the council.
However, she questioned the Port's response time, saying: "It is clear that the response should have been faster. We will be seeking answers from the Port of Tyne about the speed of their initial response and the effectiveness of their communications with local authorities, residents and partner organisations. People deserve to know what happened, why it happened, and what lessons will be learned."
Port of Tyne's response and investigation
A spokesperson for Port of Tyne responded: "We have been actively speaking to North Tyneside Council on a number of levels. If the information being shared isn't reaching the Mayor we would of course be delighted to brief her in person."
The Environment Agency is set to launch an investigation into the circumstances around the incident, and says that the 'polluter pays' for the clean up costs. It's not known how long that could take, but DEFRA says that it will consider whether regulatory action is appropriate.
