Home / Environment / Poole Harbour Spill: £6.1M Bill for Oil Company
Poole Harbour Spill: £6.1M Bill for Oil Company
13 Mar
Summary
- Perenco to pay £6.1m for ecological damage from March 2023 spill.
- Approximately 200 barrels of oily water leaked into Poole Harbour.
- Funds will support local wildlife projects and community initiatives.
Gas company Perenco has been compelled to pay £6.1 million to rectify ecological damage resulting from an oil spill in Poole Harbour. The incident, which occurred on March 26, 2023, saw approximately 200 barrels of oily water escape from a pipeline operated by the firm into the environmentally sensitive waters of Owers Bay.
Perenco's compensation package, agreed with the Environment Agency, allocates £2.6 million towards the initial response, £2.4 million for clean-up operations, and £115,000 for crucial ecological surveys. The company attributed the leak to microbial corrosion within a buried pipeline.
The spill necessitated the closure of Poole Harbour, Europe's largest natural harbour and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, to the public. The allocated funds, totaling £6.1 million, also include £620,000 for affected parties and £400,000 designated for local wildlife projects and community initiatives, ensuring support for conservation and local causes.
