Some terrible news for the atoll reefs at Clipperton Island broke today when Reef Builders reported that a chemical tanker, which ran aground over a week ago, has leaked Xylene and other toxic chemicals into nearby waters.
The ship, a Maltese chemical tanker called the”Sichem Osprey”, was on its way from Panama Canal to South Korea when it ran aground on February 11th. The cargo included thousands of tons of Xylene, an industrial solvent.
What sickens me about the whole ordeal is that the ship had to travel so close to an atoll. There are thousands of miles of deeper water all around the island and the ship had to run right into it. Perhaps it was the shortest route, but going slightly out of the way wouldn’t have been a terrible setback. Now, the islands are severely threatened.
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