Mayor hits out at port's response to pellets spill

A mayor has said a port did not act quickly enough in the aftermath of a crash which caused plastic pellets to spill into the sea, as they continue to wash up days later.

The tiny beads, known as nurdles, entered the water when a vessel struck a ship container at the Port of Tyne in South Shields at about 13:00 BST on Sunday.

North Tyneside Mayor Karen Clark said while there had been progress in containing the spill, answers were needed over the speed of the initial response and communications with local authorities.

A spokesperson for the port said its response plan had been activated "immediately" and a floating barrier had been put around the container ship to help prevent further spills.

Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets, usually between 1-5mm in size, which are used as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products.

They are melted down and moulded into a wide range of everyday items including packaging, bottles and containers.

The pellets are not toxic, but could be harmful to wildlife if ingested.

Local authorities have been advising people not to handle them and to keep dogs on leads in affected areas.

Charity Fidra, which has been helping with the clean-up, said the pellets had reached Seaburn, Sunderland, after washing up on beaches in North and South Tyneside.

"They have spread quite far from the original site," senior project manager Heather McFarlane said.

The Port of Tyne confirmed the spill happened after the Wind Orca struck the berthed container ship BG Orange on Sunday.

Subsequently a gantry crane on the Port's quayside collapsed.

The port said its response plan was started "immediately" after it found out about the spill.

It added in the last 48 hours a floating barrier, known as a boom, had been put around the BG Orange to prevent further spills and several boats were put on the river to help clean up.

But Clark said it was "clear" the response should have been faster.

"We will be seeking answers from the Port of Tyne about the speed of their initial response and the effectiveness of their communications with local authorities, residents and partner organisations," she said.

"People deserve to know what happened, why it happened and what lessons will be learned."

The port said the area had been "unsafe" to access until the crane and ship were assessed and secured by specialists.

"Responding to the collision is a multi-faceted and complex salvage operation which cannot be hurried, " a spokesperson said.

"Safety and the welfare of everyone working on the site is and must remain our priority.

"Our response plan to the pellet spill was activated immediately after we became aware of it."

A small number of nurdles had been reported on Seaburn beach in Sunderland, as well as Blyth Beach and at Old Hartley in Northumberland, local authorities confirmed.

Sunderland City Council said it was monitoring the coast line and clean-ups were under way. It urged people to report any sightings.

Northumberland County Council said council staff were working to establish "the scale of any clear-up task".

North Tyneside Council said teams had been working "around the clock" and tracking the tide to make a start on clearing the beaches.

"Their efforts are just the start of what will be a wider response," a spokesperson added.

South Tyneside Council previously said it was working alongside the Environment Agency, Maritime Agency and Port of Tyne to assess the "extent of contamination" and the potential environmental impact after the nurdles were found on Littlehaven beach on Monday.

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