The authorities of Giglio Island, off the coast of which the Costa Concordia cruise ship crashed in January 2012, are seriously concerned about Costa Cruises warning of possible environmental pollution when towing a ship to the port of Genova.
Towing the Costa Concordia may cause some damage to the waters washing the island of Giglio, off the coast of which the ship sank in 2012. This is precisely the conclusion that the company-owner of the ship came to in the report on the transportation of Costa Concordia to the port of Genoa, where the ship will be dismantled. A document provided by Costa Cruises states that the Tyrrhenian Sea may be contaminated with chemicals and oils during the last trip of the liner scheduled for July this year. In the report, the company indicated that the possible pollution would be “temporary and insignificant,” but nevertheless called for the use of appropriate equipment that would remove harmful substances from the water after towing Costa Concordia.
Mayor Giglio Sergio Ortelli admitted that he was shocked to read the data provided. According to Ortelli, he seriously fears that the release of chemicals into the sea could seriously affect the tourism industry, which is well developed in the region. The Environmental Observatory, an Italian agency that closely monitors Costa Concordia's preparations for disposal, responded extremely negatively to the company's report, accusing Costa Cruises of inadequate enforcement of pollution prevention measures.
The head of the Toscana region, Enrico Rossi, called on the government to intervene. Franco Gabrielli, head of the Italian Civil Defense Service, hastened to assure that towing Costa Concordia and the subsequent disposal of the liner would be carried out in accordance with all safety standards and measures. He also said that now the negotiations on the dismantling of the ship went into the final stage.
The complex operation of placing the vessel on an underwater platform for transportation to its last destination is scheduled for July 12-15. Costa Concordia will make its last voyage to the port, where after several checks it will be completely dismantled. The Italian authorities have only recently decided on the place where the huge liner will be dismantled. Initially, preference was given to Turkey, but the port of Genoa won the tender.
Costa Concordia cruise ship flew into reefs near the island of Giglio on January 13, 2012. The wreck of the ship claimed the lives of 32 passengers. The captain of the ship Francesco Schettino (Francesco Schettino) were charged with unintentional killing, negligence and premature abandonment of the vessel. However, Skettino denies any involvement in the tragedy, accusing the helmsman who misinterpreted his order. Moreover, the ex-captain does not hide the fact that after the trial he is determined to return to the captain’s bridge.
