What the Atlantic Coast Task Force has achieved seven years after the Erika shipwreck
Although the waste treatment process has been completed, Total is still implementing a heightened safety policy in day-to-day operations and is actively involved in pollution prevention initiatives.
When the Erika broke in two off the coast of Brittany on December 12, 1999, the crew was rescued by the Regional Rescue and Surveillance Operational Center (CROSS), and the Polmar Mer offshore emergency plan was triggered by the Atlantic Region Maritime Prefect to organize pollution control measures.
A crisis unit was immediately set up at Total to assist the authorities responsible for managing the consequences of the accident and to mobilise available expertise to help the parties concerned.
During the days and weeks that followed, the pollution caused by the sinking of the ship hit the length of the French Atlantic coastline. Total created the Atlantic Coast Task Force to address the oil spill that started moving toward the French Atlantic coast in the days and weeks that followed. In practical terms, the task force focused mainly on providing assistance in areas where the Group's technical expertise makes it particularly efficient, namely:
Pumping the cargo out of the wreck
Coastal cleanup and restoration
Storing and treating waste collected on the beaches.
The Atlantic Coast Task Force was allocated a budget of around €200 million and up to 800 people worked on the different projects it conducted. At the same time, Total’s Shipping Department stepped up its cooperation with shipping industry operators and European Union authorities to strengthen oil tanker safety legislation, while also tightening our own vetting criteria.
Today, we intend to fulfill our commitments and take action to prevent future pollution hazards. |
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Pumping out the Erika
IFREMER "L'après Erika" Website (only in French)
