On January 13th, an Italian cruise ship called the Costa Concordia sank off the Tuscan coast with 4,200 people on board. The Costa Concordia crashed on the first day of a seven-day cruise around the Mediterranean, so it was carrying a full load of fuel, about 1.9m liters of fuel in 13 tanks.
A civil protection official says there is no risk the Costa Concordia could sink lower, but to be sure, the salvagers must first attach steel moorings to the front of the ship. They must also install a double containment boom around the ship to limit any spill. "Booms are commonly used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and to help make oil recovery easier."
Although there has been no leak so far, the civil protection agency says there is pollution in the water from cleaning chemicals and disinfectants which were aboard the ship.
They are being extra careful, because the area around the ship is part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, which is the largest marine park in Europe. It is home to rare flora and fauna, including tree frogs, finches, and geckos.
Italian Admiral Ilarione Dell'Anna predicts it will take about 28 days to remove all the fuel, without any interruptions.
-Amelia Hernigle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16687012
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