Industry news
Agency investigates Esso oil spill
Posted Tue, 22 Jun 2010
An oil spill on the south coast of England that has threatened a wildlife reserve is being investigated by the Environment Agency.
A slick has washed up on beaches in Southampton Water and The Solent after around 20 barrels of vacuum gas oil escaped on Sunday.
Specialist teams wearing protective suits are bagging up oil at beaches where the spill has washed up amid fears that the Hill Head Nature reserve could be affected.
The spill came from a shore side pipeline at Esso's Marine Terminal at Fawley, and happened as a ship was unloading.
A spokesman for Esso, whose parent company, ExxonMobile, is American, said on Monday that "all efforts" were continuing to tackle the problem.
An Environment Agency spokesman confirmed it was probing the circumstances surrounding the spill and advising on the clean up.
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