How slick was this?

So a ship carrying 50 containers of Ammonium Nitrate lost 31 of them overboard in heavy weather. Not just heavy weather in fact, but the downgraded category 3 cyclone euphamistically known as 'Hamish' about which we'd all been hearing all week. This cyclone was a category 4 cyclone the day before with winds of up to 230 kph and large tracts of the North Queensland coast had been evacuated in preparation for what might happen if it came over the land. On the way past the hull, the containers ripped a hole in it. It happened off the coast where Matilda and I camped on Stradbroke Island.
Personally, I think this is a reflection on our priorities socially, as much as the particular ship. The financial pressure to go faster, with more cargo, means that accidents like this are going to happen. Was it ever thus? I don't know, probably, and the perpetrators always seem to get away with it!
Swire, who are the company who own the ship made a profit payable to shareholders of £545 m in 2008. They are being told that they MAY have to pay a fine of 'up to' $1.5m (£700k) IF they are seen to be in breach of environmental laws. (So that'll be fixed up then) They are also being told that they MAY have to pay for the clean up, (or will be pursued for the costs) currently estimated to run to circa $700k (£330k). Probably it will be covered by their insurance. Ooh they must be SOOO worried! I wonder if their insurance premium will go up?
In the meantime, Queensland's pristine beaches look like this:







When the ship made it to Brisbane, it had another go...



The politicians said (initially) that it was only 20 tons. Later they admitted that it was actually 42.5 tons (after they had measured it more accurately in port) Now this is a really small amount given how much the ship was capable of carrying. Given the volume to weight ratio of oil, this works out a space of about 2m x 2m x 15m that has been emptied, or about half a container's worth. Not much when you look at it like that. But it means that it released 61 thousand litres of it, and whilst crude oil is not so likely to spread as thinner fuel grade oils are, the picture above shows that it does still behave in a very similar way, so each litre goes a long way. The slick above is probably only 5 or 10 litres!

Really unimpressed!