Polluting company fined €8,000 for fuel spill

A company responsible for the leakage of hundreds of litres of petroleum into the Limassol port on March 26 was fined €8,000, the marine and fishery ministry reported on Thursday.

The department announced they reached the decision to impose the fine and also charge the polluter for the cost of the clean-up after investigating the incident.

“The operation was part of the broader framework for fighting illegal oil discharges into the sea area of Cyprus,” the announcement of the department concluded.

The incident occurred while oil was being transported between two barges via two pipelines which were not properly connected.

Only after several hundred litres leaked into the sea did the spill become apparent and the operation was aborted.

The paint of four of the five police boats docked in the area suffered damage as a result, something that insurance is expected to cover.

According to harbour master Panayiotis Agathocleous, the port authority, the department of fisheries and the responsible company were immediately mobilised to reduce pollution, and the oil spill was restricted to an area within the port by the afternoon of March27.

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