Human error caused Saimaa oil spill, company CEO says

Human error caused last week’s oil spill in Lake Saimaa, according to Lauri Kosonen, chief executive of Mopron, the company that owns the Nina vessel, Yle reported.

Oil entered Lake Haukivesi after a hose attached to a storage tank in the vessel’s engine room became detached, Kosonen said. No one was monitoring the tank at the time, allowing oil to flow into the lake.

Kosonen said the incident was not caused by the Nina vessel itself. The ship, which mainly transports raw timber from northern Saimaa to southern Saimaa, has returned to work.

Initial estimates suggested that as much as 900 litres of oil had entered Saimaa. The rescue service later estimated the amount at 800 litres. Mopron’s own calculation is lower: of the 800 litres, about 200 litres entered the water, while the rest was collected from the vessel’s deck.

The crew began immediate containment work with the rescue authorities and received praise from officials for acting quickly.

Saimaa has been cleaned for almost a week. WWF volunteers joined the operation on Friday, while responsibility for follow-up measures lies with the municipality of Rantasalmi.

Rantasalmi said on Monday afternoon that Repolahti, the bay most heavily contaminated by the oil, had been cleaned with help from WWF. Savonlinna Lake Rescue Association will carry out a broader shoreline inspection on Tuesday.

Restrictions on using the water and on movement remain in force. The municipality is awaiting laboratory results, which will determine further measures and restrictions.

Police investigation is at an early stage

Police are investigating the spill as an environmental offence involving the contamination of a water system. The investigation is still at an early stage, and police have not disclosed its timetable.

Investigators are examining the circumstances before the vessel departed and events on board. They are also interviewing people connected to the case or who have information about the vessel’s condition.

Police have been in contact with Kosonen. He said they had discussed the matter by telephone without problems.

Kosonen has also spoken with the company’s insurance provider. The process is still under way, but he said the company’s insurance would in principle cover the oil damage.