BROKEN OIL TANKER FOULS TAIWAN EAST COAST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000046

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PASS EPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2010
TAGS: SENV EPET PHSA TW
SUBJECT: BROKEN OIL TANKER FOULS TAIWAN EAST COAST


Classified By: Classified By: AIT/T Econ Chief Daniel Moore for reasons
1.4 b/d


1. (U) SUMMARY. On December 24, the 23,000 ton Maltese
registry oil tanker Tzini lost power and ran aground on the
coast of Eastern Taiwan, spewing about 130 tons of fuel oil
and polluting fisheries areas along with a 9 km stretch of
coast south of the port of Suao. The Taiwan Coast Guard (CG)
and the Environmental Protection Agency (TEPA) have tried to
control the spill with limited success. Taiwan has fined the
ship owner and negotiations are continuing on damage
compensation. TEPA has been criticized for its ineffectual
response in this latest incident. Divided responsibilities
among various agencies, the lack of effective enforcement
measures and equipment to deal with such spills casts doubts
on Taiwan's ability to deal with similar cases in the future.
END SUMMARY

OIL SPILL CONTAINED-- AFTER SEVERAL DAYS
--------------


2. (U) On Dec 24, Malta-registered Tzini ran aground in
heavy seas as it sailed from Japan to Taiwan to pick up a
cargo of cement. Two of its oil tanks broke, spilling about
130 tons of oil along the coast. As of Dec 28, the Taiwan
Coast Guard, together with the Taiwan Environmental
Protection Agency (TEPA) and local authorities, have
partially contained the oil spill using oil booms. A
drifting oil patch offshore is being cleaned by contractors
at Tzini's expense. On Dec. 27, to prevent further leaks
from the remaining 580 tons of oil onboard, the Tzini's
owners had the ship towed (without permission) to deeper
water, then to Suao Port for repairs. Tzini's oil spill is
estimated to have caused at least NT$50 million in damages to
the fishery in the area ($1.00 = NT32.00). Other estimates
from Suao fishery experts put the figure at NT$11 billion
based on a five-year estimated cost of recovery to the
fishery. Negotiations continue over the extent of Tzini's
financial responsibility even as the authorities assess fines
of NT$1.5 million against the owner.

ENFORCEMENT OF OIL SPILLS--WEAK
--------------


3. (U) This latest oil spill is small compared with a
previous 2001 episode when the Greek-registered vessel
Amorgos sank off Kenting in southern Taiwan and seriously
damaged coral reefs in the area. According to TEPA, the
owners of Amorgos paid NT$60 million for clean up costs,
NT$1.2 billion to fishery concerns, and only last year
settled out of court for USD$1.05 million for damage to the
coral reefs. The failure to reach a comprehensive settlement
on damage to the environment has been ascribed to a lack by
Taiwan of a credible assessment of environmental damage. In
July 2006, an Indonesian-registered ship sank in Taiwan's
northern waters with a cargo of banana and other oils.
Clean-up progress has been slow but the owners are under
notice to finish it by April 2008. In October 2005, a Korean
registry ship sank 14 miles from Taoyuan with an unknown
cargo. So far, despite fines of NT$60 million the issue is
unresolved because the owners disagree with the penalties and
have not paid. This series of incidents accent the
difficulty Taiwan authorities face when trying to enforce
penalties on environmental violations in its coastal waters.


LATE RESPONSE WITH WRONG EQUIPMENT
--------------


4. (C) AIT contacted professor Chiu Wen-yan, an expert in
ocean pollution at the Ocean University in Keelung about this
latest oil spill. Chiu said the TEPA was at the scene
shortly after the Tzini ran aground. However, when he took
students to the site next day he failed to see any action.
Chiu said that not only was the response inadequate but they
also brought a coastal water oil boom which failed to contain
the spill on the choppy seas. The oil booms are purchased by
TEPA for Coast Guard use but cannot be carried by the CG
patrol craft and need a special boat to bring
them to the site of an oil spill. Furthermore, TEPA did not
send teams underwater to survey the damage to the ecosystem
and limited their observations to the surface. According to
Chiu, coastal air patrols, which can detect the source of oil
spills are operated by the Ministry of Interior Air Police
units which are not under the Coast Guard. With such divided
responsibilities, authorities could not trace the source of
an oil spill which polluted the coast of Lanyu island (an
islet off Taiwan's southeastern coast) in July 2005. Chiu

TAIPEI 00000046 002 OF 002


also criticized the lack of training of the emergency
response team from TEPA, as well as the lack of a system for
evaluating the damage done to the ecosystem.


5. (C) COMMENT. Although officials were on the scene of
the oil spill promptly, they did not take immediate,
effective action. As a result, the oil spill spread over a
wide area and could still pose a threat to the surrounding
marine life. Taiwan authorities appear unprepared to
effectively meet the challenges resulting from such
incidents. END COMMENT


YOUNG