“Spill and run” on the Nile could lead to legal action.
Only a few days ago we described the Egyptian government’s failure to enforce better maintenance and safety standards for various vessels that travel along the Nile.
As a result, untreated waste is routinely dumped in the river, as well as other pollutants such as diesel fuel and oil.
Chronically polluted, 17,000 Egyptian children die each year from drinking Nile river water.
Last week two more oil spills along the Nile occurred near Mansoura. And though the perpetrators failed to take accountability for their mess, Al-Masry Al-Youm reports that authorities hope that “oil prints” will lead them to the source.The oil spills were reported to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) last week Friday, according to the paper.
The EEAA’s director in Daqahliya Abu Bakr al-Shahawi told Al-Masry Al-Youm that they were aware of the spills. They added that they covered areas of 20 square meters and 15 square meters.
To mitigate the effect of the spill, authorities placed hay around the two spills and are removing the oil, according to the paper.
“Authorities are trying to identify the source of the spills through oil fingerprinting. Legal action will be taken against the perpetrators,” officials said.
Daqahliya’s Governor Samir Sallam claimed that water tested around the nearby water treatment plants was not contaminated, but that the facilities will be secured in case of spread.
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