BRITISH scientists last week sent conflicting messages to ministers on
the environmental risks from dumping oil platforms such as the Brent Spar at
sea. A report to energy minister Tim Eggar from the Natural Environment Research
Council says, on the one hand, that impacts from deep-sea disposal 鈥渨ould be
appreciable only within a few square kilometres鈥�, but, on the other hand,
鈥渨astes will be dispersed and should be considered in an international
肠辞苍迟别虫迟鈥�.
And while dumping 鈥渙ne or a few installations鈥� would have a 鈥渧ery small鈥�
impact, 鈥渃ontinued disposals might give rise to a large overall impact鈥�. To add
to the confusion, the NERC scientific group鈥攃haired by John Shepherd,
director of its Southampton Oceanography Centre鈥攑oints out that the Brent
Spar, a large floating oil store, is 鈥渘ot typical鈥� and 鈥渕ay not be a good
example on which to base general policy鈥�. And it adds that 鈥渘othing in the
report should be taken as promoting deep-sea disposal鈥�.