The Herald of Free Enterprise accident: The environmental perspective

Five lorries shipped on board the ferry Herald of Free Enterprise that sank off the Belgian coast in 1987 contained together over 100 different chemicals. During the intricate salvage operation that followed the tragedy, the environmental protection activities met with technical, scientific, legal and organizational difficulties. An assessment of the exact nature, harmfulness, and situation of the cargo had to be done while access to the casualty was limited, and information insufficient. The risks for the personnel and for the marine environment were evaluated using both simplified scenarios and sophisticated computer simulations. Environmental contamination was monitored and protective counterpollution measures were implemented under supervision of the authorities. Although more than half the dangerous cargo was lost, environmental damage was kept to a minimum.