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CNN Sunday Morning
Clean-Up Efforts Continue Off Coast of Spain
Aired November 24, 2002 - 11:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Off the coast of Spain, clean-up crews from around Europe are headed to the scene of last week's oil tanker spill. The sunken Liberian vessel has contaminated the Atlantic waters with nearly three million gallons of crude oil. Meanwhile, CNN's Seema Mathur reports on the fallout along the shore.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEEMA MATHUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Locals on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) coast say it could take them years to clean up the massive amount of oil that has spilled into their village. But still, they gear up in protective clothing and try. They say the government's clean-up efforts are slow, and they can't stand by while their way of life is threatened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): All the coast has burned. We don't know how many years it will take to recover. It will take a long time for the coast and the sea life to recover.
MATHUR: The spilled oil is not only affecting sea life in the ocean, it's making its way into this fish tank. Now, when people look into Europe's largest aquarium, they see a seal named Gregor, with oil on his whiskers, and another seal with oil stains on his belly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what we are doing now is trying to protect the sea creatures from the black tide that is coming, right? So we have to isolate it, this pool from the open ocean.
MATHUR: Biologists are trying to protect some 35,000 fish who live in the tank. But out in the ocean, protecting fish is more of a challenge. The oil threatens the livelihood of the many fishermen who live in the area. Some surrounding countries have agreed to find and stop leaks from the storm-damaged Prestige tanker, but it's expected to be quite a task. Greenpeace estimates 20,000 tons of oil has leaked, twice the amount of the infamous Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. But the Spanish government says that is an exaggeration, putting its own estimate at still a messy 11,000 tons.
Seema Mathur, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 24, 2002 - 11:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Off the coast of Spain, clean-up crews from around Europe are headed to the scene of last week's oil tanker spill. The sunken Liberian vessel has contaminated the Atlantic waters with nearly three million gallons of crude oil. Meanwhile, CNN's Seema Mathur reports on the fallout along the shore.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEEMA MATHUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Locals on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) coast say it could take them years to clean up the massive amount of oil that has spilled into their village. But still, they gear up in protective clothing and try. They say the government's clean-up efforts are slow, and they can't stand by while their way of life is threatened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): All the coast has burned. We don't know how many years it will take to recover. It will take a long time for the coast and the sea life to recover.
MATHUR: The spilled oil is not only affecting sea life in the ocean, it's making its way into this fish tank. Now, when people look into Europe's largest aquarium, they see a seal named Gregor, with oil on his whiskers, and another seal with oil stains on his belly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what we are doing now is trying to protect the sea creatures from the black tide that is coming, right? So we have to isolate it, this pool from the open ocean.
MATHUR: Biologists are trying to protect some 35,000 fish who live in the tank. But out in the ocean, protecting fish is more of a challenge. The oil threatens the livelihood of the many fishermen who live in the area. Some surrounding countries have agreed to find and stop leaks from the storm-damaged Prestige tanker, but it's expected to be quite a task. Greenpeace estimates 20,000 tons of oil has leaked, twice the amount of the infamous Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. But the Spanish government says that is an exaggeration, putting its own estimate at still a messy 11,000 tons.
Seema Mathur, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
