fight an

French forces fight an oily invader

Prom a Noumea correspondent A new, massive operation for the French Army and Navy in Noumea was carried out during February and March to rid the island of an un expected “invader”—an immense oil spillage on the foreshores of Anse Vata and other bays, caused by the rupture of the sea-line feeding oil to the SEN nickel works.

The navy was first called in to help spread detergent at sea, to dis perse the extensive patches of oil which reached from Noumea beaches up to the Dumbea coast, about 15 miles away. Later, a navy vessel transported men and machines to clear the offshore island of Illot Canard; other men with trucks and ex cavators shovelled the oily mess off the tourist beach of Anse Vata and deposited fresh, clean sand.

Blocks of nickel slag and timber were hastily deposited at strategic points at sea to hold back the oil slick from the inner harbour and other beaches. Air surveys to direct opera tions were conducted by the SLN company helicopter.

The sea-line which caused the

trouble is laid across the ocean bed and used to unload the giant oil tankers fuelling Noumea’s nickel fac tory. After the rupture, which could have been caused by cyclone Pamela, a regional vessel, the Pacific Trader was called in to ferry oil across the bay.

As army, navy and other quarters were mobilised to cope with the emergency, two specialists were hurriedly flown in from Australia, together with dozens of tons of detergent in barrels, For several weeks Noumea bathers had their swims interrupted at the fashionable Anse Vata beach and as the y w f t< * ed the armed forces carry ,'P* ou . the tedlous , sle5 le , a "‘, U ? tlons - “ was suggested that for such emergencies it would be advisable to install equipment such as hat located alon 8 the Australian coast.

• See p 43. The pollution menace.

Noumea with its modern expressway which skirts the nickel factory, New Caledonia's source of wealth and pollution.