Australia launches inquiry into major oil spillAustralia launched an inquiry on Thursday into a major oil spill oil spill: see water pollution. off its coast which has been described as one of the country's worst environmental disasters. Retired senior civil servant David Borthwick was appointed to probe the leak, which gushed from a damaged oil well in the Timor Sea Timor Sea An arm of the Indian Ocean between Timor and Australia. Noun 1. Timor Sea - an arm of the eastern Indian Ocean between Timor and northern Australia for some 10 weeks and then burst into flames before finally being contained on Tuesday. "I simply say that we aspire to aspire to verb aim for, desire, pursue, hope for, long for, crave, seek out, wish for, dream about, yearn for, hunger for, hanker after, be eager for, set your heart on, set your sights on, be ambitious for learn from this incident and take any necessary steps to stop similar incidents occurring in the future," Resources Minister Martin Ferguson Martin John Ferguson, AM (born 12 December 1953), Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Batman, Victoria. said. The inquiry will have the power to call witnesses, take sworn evidence and force companies to hand over documents, and will make recommendations aimed at stopping future accidents. The rig's Thai-based operator, PTTEP Australasia, has warned the site off northern Australia The term northern Australia is generally considered to include the States and territories of Australia of Queensland and the Northern Territory. The part of Western Australia (WA) north of latitude 26° south — a definition widely used in law and State government policy may need environmental monitoring for up to seven years. Up to 28,000 barrels of oil poured into the sea after the West Atlas rig began leaking on August 21, prompting several attempts to cap it by boring a relief well and pumping in heavy mud. Environmental groups have criticised the government's handling of the spill, saying it threatened bird and marine life off Western Australia's north coast. Resource-rich Australia is enjoying strong energy exports, notably its fast-expanding liquefied natural gas liquefied natural gas: see under natural gas. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) A product of natural gas which consists primarily of methane. Its properties are those of liquid methane, slightly modified by minor constituents. sector fuelled by booming Asian demand. 
|
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion