Algarve anti-oil groups are watching with inreasing concern as Italian authorites 'monitor' a two-kilometre-long oil spill off Itay's prized Riviera coastline.
The 500 metre wide slick has been moving slowly westwards from waters off Genoa, and threatens to pollute holiday beaches just as the tourist season begins. The risk of a new spill into the Mediterranean is said by authorities to be "under control" - a statement few believe as the oil slick threatens the premier Itailan Riviera and smaller areas of oil pollution are being reported by fishermen.
The oil spilled from a pipeline at a refinery located at Bussala, a suburb of Genoa, on April 17th this year.
The refinery's owner, Iplom, insisted that the leak into the Polcevera river was contained "within hours" but has not been able to confirm the volume of oil that has escaped as one of the barriers erected on the river gave way on Saturday morning after heavy overnight rain, raising fears that tonnes more crude had reached the sea.
After declaring a local state of emergency, Genoa's port authority and the Itailian government said that back-up floating barriers in the mouth of the river "had done their job" but did not define what this meant.
"The situation is delicate but under control," said an optimistic Graziano Delrio, Italy's Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, despite further heavy rain forecast for Saturday evening and an unknown quantity already floating off the Italian Riviera.
Genoa mayor Marco Doria said a large oil slick and several smaller ones had been spotted by local fishermen and coastguards, caused by last Sunday's incident.
The leak sent large quantities of oil into the Polcevera river but the company claimed to have contained it within hours and to have since made good progress in extracting it.
"From an environmental point of view I am calm. There was no new leak into the sea," said Gianfranco Benedettil, Iplom's local safety officer whose definition of environmental damage differs from those environmental groups monitoring the area.
"There is not much stuff left in the Polcevera, most of it has been extracted by gully suckers," he told the AGI newswire.
The refinery where the leak came from amyway was due to suspend its operations on Monday April 25th for economic reasons.
Genova is located in the middle of the Italian stretch of the Riviera, close to the famous resort of Portofino and several protected areas of outstanding natural beauty, including the Cinque Terre region.
The maritime environment is highly prized with the coastal waters providing essential breeding grounds for sealife as well as supporting a dayboat fishing fleet which serves the local restaurant trade and provides essential local jobs.
The Italians at least have a response mechanism for oil spills, something the Algarve region lacks in any comprehensive manner despite the Portuguese government's desire to turn the country's top tourist region into an oil and gas exploration and extraction area.
