UN to begin aerial surveys of Lebanese oil slick
Tuesday, 22 Aug 2006 08:37

The UN's Environmental Programme (UNEP) is to begin aerial surveys of the oil spill blighting the Lebanese and Syrian coastline.

The news comes after assurances were given from Israeli authorities of safe passage for its flights.

Up to 15,000 tonnes of fuel oil flowed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing marine life and affecting around 100 miles of coastline, since Israeli missiles hit the Jiyyeh power station, located south of Beirut, last month.

Between that time and now, fighting between Israel and Hizbullah militants meant aerial surveillance had to be put on hold until hostilities ceased.

UNEP's executive director, Achim Steiner, said he had received assurances from Israel's environmental protection minister, Gideon Ezra, of safe passage for the flights.

"I would like to acknowledge the response by the Israeli authorities giving safe and secure passage of aerial surveillance flights," he said.

"It is absolutely vital that these are swiftly undertaken to establish the quantity of oil still floating on the sea and to thus tailor the appropriate clean-up response."

UNEP has compared the spill to the disaster in 1999 off the coast of France when the Erika tanker spilled an estimated 13,000 metric tonnes of oil into the Atlantic Ocean.