CONFUSION reigned yesterday, with authorities struggling to trace the source of an oil slick which appeared off the coast of Xylophagou.
While the EAC’s Dhekelia power station admitted responsibility for Tuesday night’s spillage, the source of the slick in the nearby village remains unclear.
Director of the Dhekelia power station, Andreas Polydorides, admitted there was a small oil leak on Tuesday night at the Dhekelia Generating Station. It was caused by damage to a safety valve on a boiler supply line and a small amount oil spilled into the sea and the rainwater drains.
He told the Cyprus News Agency that station staff had worked all evening to contain the oil to the station area. They resumed this morning to clear up the last of the remnants of the oil and the spill was contained.”
The EAC also alerted the Fisheries Department and the local desalination plant, 500 metres away, which ceased operating immediately until it had the chance to decontaminate its equipment. A spokesman for the desalination plant confirmed that they had ceased operations while they cleaned the membranes and had reopened yesterday evening.
At 11.30 am yesterday, however, news of a second oil spill in the village of Xylophagou, 4km away from Dhekelia power station.
Stuart Bardsley, spokesman for the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area (SBA), told the Cyprus Mail yesterday, “We heard the first report of an oil spillage at Xylophagou at 11 this morning. We sent an engineering team, Dhekelia’s 6-2 squadron, to investigate.”
The SBA’s Quarter Master Department then conducted an initial assessment, but were unable to determine the source of the slick. “
We have our suspicions that the power station is the source of the slick, but we cannot confirm this yet.” Bardsley said.
When asked about the reports of a second spillage at Xylofago, EAC spokesperson Costas Gavrielides said he was not aware of it, and it was not until the afternoon that the EAC, together with the Department of Fisheries and Marine research arrived at the village to investigate. He added that 95 per cent of oil spills in Cyprus are from external sources, such as boats.
Polydorides said, “When we heard about the second oil spill at 2pm, we visited the village and found two bays had been affected. We also saw some of the boats had oil on them, although it is not clear if this came from the harbour or further out to sea.”
He also added that it was not certain if the two spillages were linked.
“The Fisheries Department have taken samples and will confirm if it is from the same source. We have now begun to clear the oil, using floating booms and oil-absorbent materials.”
Asked about the environmental impact of the accidents, Polydorides said, “The spills we found were very small and no animals will have been harmed by this. We expect to have cleared this up within two days.”
