Waves Of Tar Balls Wash Ashore On Goa Beaches - Just As Tourist Season Begins - AP

[hatrack]

http://www.timesunion.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=315363&width=628&height=471

PANAJI, India (AP) — Wave after wave of tar balls floated ashore Wednesday on the renowned Goa beaches after a ship dumped tons of waste oil off India's western coast, officials said.

Semisolid lumps of oil formed layers up to six inches deep (15 centimeters deep) on beaches in the popular tourist destination. Scores of civic workers used brooms to collect and clear the oily debris, but still more tar balls were washing ashore about three days after officials believe a ship dumped burnt oil at sea.

Indian navy and coast guard vessels were trying to trace the ship, said Aleixo Sequeira, the state's environment minister. He declined to say what action would be taken when the vessel is found. Ships regularly clean their fuel tanks and discharge the waste oil at sea, but this case involved careless dumping that exceeded all proportions, say scientists at India's National Institute of Oceanography, located in Goa.

"Crude oil mixes with water to form an emulsion that looks like chocolate pudding. Winds and waves continue to stretch and tear the oil patches into smaller pieces, or tar balls," said S. R. Shetye, who heads the institute.

EDIT

http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Tar-balls-coat-Indian-beaches-after-ship-dumps-oil-640045.php

[virgogal]

1. God almighty ! I wasn't even aware that ships regularly dumped

waste oil at sea.

No wonder the earth is such a mess.

[stuntcat]

5. the oceans are giant garbage dumps

this is sick :((((((((

[pscot]

2. Tracing ships is done routinely

http://marinetraffic.com/ais/#

[Nihil]

3. Pah! It's not the Gulf of Mexico so who cares?

:eyes:

[kgrandia]

4. Nasty