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Will Coega Become a Haven for the Dirty Oil Rig Cleaning Industry?

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A second Oil rig berthed within the Nqura harbour at Coega this past weekend.

Since the controversial first “repair and cleaning” of an Oil rig many questions and queries were posed to Coega and Portnet which were never satisfactorily answered in detail. And now the authorities have allowed what appears to be a second rig to enter the Nqura harbour!

The entry of any oil rig into Algoa Bay raises many environmental questions as oil is harmful to the marine environment. The movement of the oil rig in the dark makes one suspect that someone was trying to avoid a public outcry. Or, could it have been as a result of a guilty conscience?

The Port Elizabeth public would feel far more comfortable if movements such as these were done in an open and honest manner.

The Nqura harbour was never constructed for this kind of hazardous work, it was never environmentally evaluated for work on oil rigs, the harbour is right next door to the Addo National Park, in the centre of Southern Right Whale breeding grounds and next to a future marine world heritage site.

One can ask the question; “Does Transnet or the Port authorities actually care about our marine environment?”

Rainer Schimpf
Ocean Messengers

Editors Notes: I just wonder how the milk industry will feel about this ‘dirty industry’ on their doorstep?

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Ocean Messengers ask whether a trend is being set with regular visits by oil rigs to Nqura Harbour within the Coega area.
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.

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Comments

  1. wow – you sure are might observant!!!

    if you were sooo intelligent, you would notice that it is the same oilrig you moaning about that has brought hundreds and thousands of rands of revenue to Port Elizabeth and hundreds of job opportunities..

    its because of ignorant people like yourself that investors stay clear of small towns…

    • Yes i agree, it is the same rig, the rig left for a few days on sea trails as should any vessel that had work done on her, the rig is a totally GREEN one not even the rain water is dropped into the sea, I move the water for the rig., The total investment to PE is un heard of, Millions was pumped into PE and I think it is awesome and we should have more like this, it helps with unemployment, SME’s, and many other industies in our ton.
      I back you on this