OMV oil spill - time to plug their well

"It's time to plug OMV's operations after a third oil spill in the Maari field off the Taranaki coast" says Emily Bailey, member of Climate Justice Taranaki.

"According to an OMV estimate, up to 300 litres of oil spilled into the sea on Friday 20 February. While company spin doctors will try and talk this down calling it 'small', the US EPA states that 300 litres of oil can contaminate 300 million litres of water, and this near a blue whale breeding ground and in the habitat of the critically endangered Maui's dolphin."

"OMV already spilled oil from this same operation on two occasions in 2010, which washed up on the Kapiti Coast. OMV publicly apologised then and now but again left much of the oil to 'break down naturally', promising to 'ensure best practices are followed to minimise any environmental risks'."

"Clearly their operations and equipment are still not up to scratch.

We're tired of our seas being used as dumping grounds. We don't want to wait for another big spill. The EPA should never have given OMV a marine consent to further destroy our natural environment. It's time to send OMV packing" concludes Emly Bailey.

Submissions to the EPA on a 35 year marine consent application for further offshore drilling by Shell-Todd close tomorrow.

ENDS

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