Stena Line has defended its handling of a chemical spill on board an Irish Sea ferry in heavy weather which resulted in a delayed docking at Dublin Port early yesterday.
The Irish Coastguard was informed indirectly about the incident at 10.36 p.m. on Tuesday, almost four hours after it was reported to have occurred on the Holyhead-Dublin ferry, the Stena Challenger. Holyhead Coastguard said it was informed at 11.37 p.m. The company said all relevant emergency services and the port authorities were informed "immediately".
The Dublin-bound ferry had 113 passengers and 45 crew on board, but the company said it was a minor incident and there was no danger to anyone on board. The Irish Coastguard says the cocktail of chemicals constituted a pollutant, was inflammable and was dangerous to inhale.
The spill occurred when two trailers, one carrying paint and the other phosphoric acid used to make fizzy drinks, collided with a lorry on the car deck. The ship had been hit by several large waves about two hours after it left Holyhead at 4.38 p.m. on Tuesday.
The ship did not dock until 1.30 a.m. yesterday, where it was met by units of Dublin Fire Brigade and treated as an emergency. Car drivers were not allowed to disembark until the deck had been treated and declared safe. The freight on board included 46 articulated lorries, 23 trailers and 26 cars.
The Department of the Marine's Marine Survey Office inspected the vessel yesterday and the surveyor advised the British Marine and Coastguard Agency that there was unsatisfactory lashing of the freight units and a shift of the load, according to a spokesman.
No regulations in relation to carriage of hazardous freight were breached, the spokesman said. The vessel was due to sail again last night. The chemicals had been recorded in the ship's manifest under dangerous goods.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it had not been informed of the incident at time of going to press yesterday.
