Environment: Oil Slick Threatens Korean Shores, Migrating Birds

Via The Boston Globe, AP reports that a massive oil spill that occurred when a supertanker collided with a barge is now threatening an "ecologically sensitive" area of the South Korean coast. The spill, totalling 2.7 million gallons, formed a slick 4.6 miles long and 1.2 miles wide, the largest in the world since 2003.

The collision occurred about 7 miles off Mallipo beach. The region is popular for its scenic beaches and is also the site of fish farms, a national maritime park, and an important rest stop for migrating birds.

There were no casualties in the accident, the Coast Guard said.

They mean human casualties, of course. Undoubtedly, the fish farms will suffer losses. Sealife and migratory birds exposed to the fuel will likely die, depending on the degree of exposure. The report also stated that workers on board the damaged supertanker are at risk from oil fumes as they try to move oil from damaged tanks to undamaged tanks. But the risk is to their health, not their lives, so the effects will not manifest for some time.

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