Capadòcia

Pallas accident

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Wadden Sea Newsletter 1999 - 1
Introduction
On the afternoon of 25.10.98, the Italian-owned
general cargo M/V PALLAS, 27 years old and flying
the flag of the Bahamas, was on her voyage from
Sweden through the English Channel to Marocco.
In stormy weather, the vessel caught fire off the
Danish coast near Esbjerg on the Danish continental
shelf about 55 nm off the coast. On
28.10.98, the averaged burning cargo vessel stranded
two nautical miles off Amrum in Schleswig-
Holstein, Germany. Onboard this vessel, apart from
the burning cargo of timber, there were about 700
t of heavy fuel, diesel and some other oil. In total,
about 244 t of the fuel oil and oil sludge spilled
into the sea through a tear in the damaged ship
hull after stranding. The oil polluted the beaches
on the islands Amrum, Föhr, Sylt as well as the
‘halligen’ Hooge and Langeness in Schleswig-Holstein,
Germany. It is estimated that about 26,000
birds, mainly eider ducks and common scoters
were oiled and, in total, about 16,000 of them, at
minimum, died during the PALLAS accident.
In the following, a brief report of the accident,
the stranding, oil spilling as well as the pollution
control activities is given (see sources). All detailed
information concerning the amount and types
of oil onboard the PALLAS are based on information
given by the German Federal Ministry of
Transport, Building and Housing. A map shows the
drift-line, including the position of the PALLAS
since about the beginning of the accident, until
the stranding. An overview of the impact on the
environment is presented, especially regarding
birds and seals. Furthermore, the activities and
investigations for the cause of the accident, initiated
after the accident, are introduced.
PALLAS: Trouble at Sea
Immediately after the pan-call ”fire on board” by
the PALLAS in the afternoon on 25.10.98 to the
MRCC Århus, Denmark (Maritime Rescue Coordination
Center), the Danish rescue vessel
NORDSØEN was ordered to the area. The captain
of the PALLAS altered his course to reach the port
of Esbjerg. The Danish salvage company SVITZER
informed the MRCC Århus that there was no ship
(tug) in the area with sufficient capacity to assist
in the rough weather conditions. The offer of the
Danish company MÆRSK SUPPLY - given to MRCC
at UTC-time 21.49h - to send the HAVILA CHAMPION,
a vessel with sufficient emergency towing
capacity, was not taken, respectively, a request
was not made. At 22.54h, the PALLAS transmitted
a mayday-call because of open fire in the holds
and requested fire-fighting assistance.
Within the next 4 - 5 hours – after, more or
less, unsuccessful attempts to extinguish the fire
- the crew of the PALLAS was rescued from the
vessel. One of the 17 crewmembers died during
the rescue operations. The, more or less, burning
PALLAS was an abandoned vessel with the main
engine running, the propeller turning and drifting
southwest of the Lister Deep into the direction
of the German coast. The ZMK resp. the Ves-
PALLAS on 07.11.1998
(Photo by Frank Behling,
drawn from the book
“Havarie” by Jan Mordhorst,
Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft,
1999, Hamburg)
Bettina Reineking, Common The PALLAS Accident
Wadden Sea Secretariat,
Wilhelmshaven, FRG
The PALLAS Accident
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Wadden Sea Newsletter 1999 - 1
sel Traffic Service, VTS in Cuxhaven at the ”Wasser-
und Schiffahrtsamt Cuxhaven” (WSA), which
is responsible for traffic regulating measures, gave
the operational order to the multi-purpose-vessel
MELLUM and later to the pollution-countermeasure-
vessel NEUWERK.
In the meantime, on the morning of 26.10.98,
the PALLAS crossed the border into the German
sea area of responsibility and the NEUWERK and
MELLUM started combating the fire. Several attempts
to make a towing connection with the PALLAS
were not successful. However, since about
19.00h, the PALLAS had been towed by the MELLUM
southwestwards into the direction of Helgoland
until the connection with two ropes tore
at 12.20h on 27.10.98.
The salvage tug OCEANIC - chartered by the
German Federal Ministry of Transport for emergency
towing tasks in the German Bight - was
involved in an accident of the bulk carrier RUBY
XL, which had run into problems in the sea area
off Terschelling/Ameland, NL on 24.10.98. These
operations were finalized in the afternoon of
26.10.98. The OCEANIC was ordered to assist and
combat the fire onboard the PALLAS and arrived
there on 27.10.98 at 8:28h.
All further attempts to tow the PALLAS into
the open North Sea also failed, not least because
of the very bad weather conditions: strong winds
(7-9 Bft.) to heavy storm (10 Bft.), rough sea, autumn/
winter season and the shallow water.
After Stranding
The burning PALLAS stranded 2 nm off the coast of
Amrum in Schleswig-Holstein (54o 32,5´ N; 008 o
17,24´ E) on 29.10.98. During the following days,
all maneuvers and salvage attempts failed. The
tug attempts were suspended after a break in the
hull of the PALLAS was confirmed on 06.11.98.
The ship was declared a wreck.
Combating fire and oil disposal
The owner of the PALLAS was responsible for combating
the fire and the oil disposal. Because the
Italian owner did not react in time since the stranding
and because of impending oil pollution,
the German Emergency Task Force (Einsatzleitgruppe,
ELG) took over the responsibility for the
salvage of the wreck. Measures for combating the
fire and oil disposal were initiated with the Dutch
firm Wijsmuller. The fire had been extinguished
since 23.11.98.
On 12.11.98, under calm weather conditions,
Dutch experts started preparational measures to
discharge the oil. The surging of the oil was made
with the support of the jackup-plattform BARBARA
from Rotterdam. In total, about 305 cbm of
mostly heavy fuel oil including 19 cbm of diesel
oil were pumped off. The last fluid oil residuals
were skimmed and the remaining bituminous oil
sludge had to be collected by a dredge by the
BARBARA. The oil disposal (about 444 t) and the
discharge of the cargo residues had been finalized
on 10.01.1999. The amount of remaining oil
residues on board was estimated to be about 4 t.
Oil spilling and pollution control
On board the PALLAS, there were about 550 t of
heavy fuel oil (IFO 180) and about 130 t of diesel
oil as well as about 15 t of lubrication, hydraulic
and waste oil. Part of the oil spilled steadily into
the sea through a tear in the damaged ship hull
between 30.10 and 10.11.98. In total, during the
PALLAS accident, about 244 t of oil spilled into
the sea. Due to the bad weather conditions, the
PALLAS drifting and in
tow between 25.10. and
29.10.1998
(GAUSS 1998/98)
PALLAS in tow
PALLAS drifting
10m depth conture
0 5
Nautical miles
The Pallas Accident
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Wadden Sea Newsletter 1999 - 1
The Pallas Accident
German oil spill response fleet was not fully able
to combat the spills on sea. Until 23.11.98, the
oil-combat-ships had collected a total quantity
of about 250 cbm of oil-water mixture and about
18 cbm of separated oil. An unknown quantity of
oil burnt. According to the advanced status of the
salvage activities, the risk of new considerable oil
spills and oil pollution of beaches was estimated
as low after 15.12.98. However, on 19.12.98, oil
again spilled into the sea, and 300 l were collected
by the oil-combat-vessel KNECHTSAND.
The oil polluted the beaches of the islands of
Amrum, Föhr, Sylt-Hörnum, the southern tip of
Hooge, Langeness, Norderoog as well as all outersands.
Clean-up operations were necessary along
Föhr, Amrum, Sylt, Hooge and Langeness and
were concluded after the first oil spill on 12.11.98.
The southern coastline of Föhr was polluted again
on 23.11.98 and cleaned the next day. In total,
870 t of oil-sand mixture had been collected and
disposed off. It is assumed that the beaches will
not be damaged permanently by the oil, which
was collected as soon as it was beached. Neither
salt marshes nor Danish beaches were polluted
during the accident.
Environmental Impacts
Impact on Birds
According to data from bird monitoring over the
last few years and topical surveys in the concerned
area, it can be assumed that there were about
130,000 birds (sea ducks and waders) in the area
in November/December during the year. November
is the month with the highest numbers of eiders
(about 100,000 birds) and common scoters
in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea and the
adjacent offshore area.
It is estimated that about 26,000 birds were
oiled and, in total, about 16,000 birds, at minimum,
died during the PALLAS accident. About
12,000 birds of 34 species, mainly eider duck (more
than 70%), common scoter (about 20 %) as well
as waders such as dunlin, oystercatcher, grey
plover, bar-tailed godwit had been found dead due
to the PALLAS oil spill in Schleswig-Holstein and
Denmark until mid December 1998. Besides these
12,000 oiled birds which were found dead, also
birds which were not found on the beach and
which died at sea and sank, as well as birds which
were not documented or counted before transportation
to rehabilitation stations, have to be
included in the list of oil victims. Hundreds of oiled
birds were washed ashore on the coastlines of
the islands and the mainland in North Frisia as
well as in Dithmarschen, either dead or still alive,
had very little chance of survival.
According to an estimate of the national coordinator
of the Trilateral Monitoring Group of Migratory
Birds in Schleswig-Holstein, at minimum,
half of the stock of sea ducks, such as eiders and
common scoters, in the area - at the time of the
accident - fell victim to the oil. Taking the entire
Wadden Sea of Schleswig-Holstein into consideration,
about 11% and 18% of the - at the time -
topical stocks of eiders and common scoters died
because of the accident (WWF 1999). These numbers
cannot be neglected because, already in February
and March 1998, about 8,500 birds were
killed by two other oil pollution cases in the Danish
Wadden Sea Area and the majority of these
bird were also common scoters (see WSNL 1998 -
No. 1: 24 - 25).
The fate of about 10,000 waders, which were
present in the area at the beginning of the PALLAS
accident, is unknown. A few of these birds
were heavily oiled; most of them were only lightly
polluted. Only a few were found dead. Because
of the cold snap in November, the flocks migrated
to their wintering areas in France and Great Britain.
It is nearly impossible to calculate the loss
of waders due to the oil accident.
Impact on Seals
Besides birds, also common and grey seals were
threatened by oil. There were some hundred common
seals (total stock in Schleswig-Holstein approx.
5,500) in the area and the only small reproductive
colony of grey seals (about 50 animals) in
Germany is located on Jungnamensand, an outersand
of Amrum. The first grey seal pup was born
on another outersand in the beginning of November
1998.
However, the seals were mostly unaffected by
the spilled oil of the PALLAS and only a few seals
were in the area around the Knobsände during
the accident. Only one dead common seal and
some lightly oiled ones were documented. Apparently,
the seals left the area in time. Possibly, the
activities of the oil-pollution-control vessels and
several helicopters scared the animals away, which
was a positive effect of disturbance in this case.
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Wadden Sea Newsletter 1999 - 1
Impact on the Seabed
In November and December 1998, two research
vessels of German research institutions investigated
the sea area around the PALLAS and collected
water and sediment samples. Both crews
stated that neither visual oil pollution on the seabed
and sediment in the area of the wreck nor
affected haul-out sites of the common seal and
grey seal could be documented during their investigations.
Due to the proportionately small
amount of spilled oil, strong negative effects on
the seabed were improbable.
However, there were reports from shrimp fishers
from the area on oiled fishing vessels, nets
and gears, also at a distance of 50 km away from
the PALLAS. They, therefore, had to avoid the area
around the PALLAS.
Activities for
Enlightenment of the
Accident
The German Federal Ministry of Traffic, Building
and Housing established an independent expert
commission “Average PALLAS” for the investigation
and evaluation of the PALLAS accident. The
task of the expert commission is to assess the
existing emergency concept as well as to propose
further developments and improvements of the
safety concept for the German North and Baltic
Sea coasts (Verkehrssicherheitssystem Deutsche
Küste, VSDK). Proposals for the optimization in
the German area as well as on an international
scope should also be included. It is expected that
the expert group will give a statement for the future
regarding the needed capacity of emergency
tugs and fire service vessels, the technical equipment
of pollution-countermeasure-vessels, the
education and training of teams, the possibilities
of interventions by the authorities during salvage
operations as well as possibilities for the improvement
of liability- and shipping insurance. The
expert commission initiated its work on February
10, 1999, and will finalize its work until the summer
to submit a final report in autumn 1999.
In Schleswig-Holstein, an inquiry commission
of the state parliament (Parlamentarischer Untersuchungsausschuß)
was established at the end of
December 1998 to investigate and assess the PALLAS
accident and to remedy the deficiencies relevant
for the federal state. The expert commission
has to finalize its work until the summer 1999
after initiation of the work in January 1999. Furthermore,
the state government in Schleswig-
Holstein ordered a weak-spot analysis (Schwachstellenanalyse)
regarding the PALLAS case in December
1998. An investigation of the PALLAS accident
will also be carried out at the German Admiralty
Court in Kiel.
What to do with the wreck now?
The wreck of the PALLAS will remain in the Wadden
Sea because the salvage of the wreck would
need too much effort and costs and additional
environmental impact could be expected. German
authorities decided that the wreck will be sealed
up and to remove great parts of the vessel in 1999.
Thereafter, sand will be pumped into the wreck so
that the PALLAS will not be visible anymore. These
works will start in late May 1999 and are expected
to be finalized by the end of June. The costs
for these last activities regarding the PALLAS
cannot fully be estimated at the moment.
Sources
CWSS 1998. Status report on the average of the M/V PALLAS
09.11.98, 13.11.98, 18.11.98, 20.11.98, 30.11.98, 17.12.98.
GAUSS (ed) 1998. Beiträge zur Fachtagung “Wie sicher ist die
deutsche Bucht?”, 30. Januar 1998, Bremen, Fachtagung unter
Schirmherrschaft des Bundesverkehrsministeriums. In: Sicherheits-
und Notfallkonzept Deutsche Bucht, Materialsammlung
der GAUSS - Gem. Gesellschaft für Angewandten Umweltschutz
und Sicherheit im Seeverkehr mbH.
GAUSS 1998/1999. Chronologie der Notschleppübungen und
-einsätze in der Deutschen Bucht, Oktober - November 1998.
In: Sicherheits- und Notfallkonzept Deutsche Bucht, Materialsammlung
der GAUSS - Gem. Gesellschaft für Angewandten
Umweltschutz und Sicherheit im Seeverkehr mbH. Stand Mai
1999.
Landesamt für den Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches
Wattenmeer 1998/1999. PALLAS Sachstand ”Ölopfer” vom Oktober
98 bis 06.01.99.
Landesamt für den Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches
Wattenmeer 1999. Die PALLAS und ihre Folgen. Nationalpark
Nachrichten 1-2/1999
WWF 1998. Schwerpunktthema – PALLAS. Wattenmeer-International.
Heft 4, 16. Jahrg.: 113.
WWF 1999. Hintergrundinformation – WWF zieht ökologische
Bilanz nach PALLAS-Haverie, 05.01.1999.
Bettina Reineking
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat,
D-26382 Wilhelmshaven
reineking@cwss.whv.net
The Pallas Accident