憤怒的昆士蘭州總理安娜布萊（Anna Bligh）說：「我們絕對會嚴懲在潔淨的大堡礁海域擱淺漏油的中國運煤船船東。」
神能一號運煤船在4月3日於中澳昆士蘭海域外的格拉斯淺灘（Douglas Shoal）上擱淺。這艘船在巨大的風浪中無助的漂浮，只靠著一艘特製的拖船保持穩定。
海事官員表示，神能一號船身已嚴重的損壞，隨時有斷裂的危險，所洩漏出的石油，已經擴散至3公里長、100公尺寬的海面上。
澳洲總理布萊說，4月5日由空中所噴灑的化學化油劑已分解了部份洩漏的石油。
在這艘預計前往中國，長230公尺的貨船上，載有大約6萬5千公噸的煤礦以及950公噸的重油，它在離開昆士蘭州格拉德斯通（Gladstone）港數小時後便擱淺了。
當時船偏離了所允許的航道達15公里，全速航行在世界最長的珊瑚礁區，結果撞上大凱珀爾島（Great Keppel Island）東方70公里的珊瑚礁。
聯邦當局目前正對事發原因展開全面的調查。
澳洲總理布萊說，該船所隸屬的中遠集團(Cosco Group) - 中國最大的船運公司，可能被處以高達100萬美金的罰款，船長則可能被處罰22萬美金。
澳洲環境部長加勒特(Peter Garrett)在一份聲明中說：「政府很清楚大堡礁環境的重要性，並會確保其生態環境所受到的衝擊能得到有效管理。」
昆士蘭海事安全當局在4月3日晚上接到意外事故通知後，啟動了國家漏油應變計畫。
昆士蘭海事安全總理夸克(Patrick Quirk)說，專業救援小組已經在4月5日上午登船。他們正在評估該船結構的完整性以及讓它重新浮起的計畫。
「第二艘拖船將在5日下午抵達，以協助原先的拖船穩定受損船隻。」夸克說，「直升機也在海岸測量，作好將各樣所需裝備運到海灘上的先期計畫。」
海流模式顯示，在未來兩天內，油污便會汙染肖爾沃特灣(Shoalwater Bay)軍事海域。但夸克說，這取決於化油劑的效果和當時的天氣而定。
總理布萊說：「我們希望以最小的損害將船拖離礁區。我們必須防止大規模漏油的可能。」
「神能一號的打撈作業可能會耗時數週，並且成為有史以來最複雜與困難的救援行動。」布萊說，「這將動員所有我們已知的專業知識。」
澳洲綠黨領袖布朗(Bob Brown)說，聯邦和昆士蘭州政府應該要共同承擔，中國運煤船沒有領航員所導致擱淺事件的責任。
參議員布朗說，「儘管我們要求所有此類船隻都應該有領航員，但坎培拉與布里斯本政府都向媒炭與船運公司低頭，而忽略這屬於常識的要求。」「沒有堅持配置領航員實在太過於草率。」
「對世界上最偉大的自然奇景之一來說，這是個潛在的災難，」布朗說，「但是陸克文和布萊政府的大規模擴大煤炭出口計畫中，經過了大堡礁海域卻沒有強制要求領航員隨船。」
總理布萊說，每年有6千艘船隻由合法航道安然經過大堡礁，這個數字將隨著天然氣產業的興起而增加。
「合法的航道並非高風險或危險航道，所以不需要配置領航員。」總理說，「而這艘船根本就遠離了任何一條合法航道。」
Angry Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says "the book should be thrown" at the owners of a grounded Chinese coal cargo ship leaking oil into pristine waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The Shen Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoal in Australian waters off the central Queensland coast on Saturday. It is at the mercy of winds and tides and is being held steady in heavy swells only by a specialized tug boat.
The oil spill from the Shen Neng 1 is now three kilometers (2 miles) long and 100 meters wide and the vessel is badly damaged and at risk of breaking up, say maritime safety officials.
Chemical dispersants sprayed from the air Sunday have helped break up some of the oil that has already leaked, said Premier Bligh.
The 230 meter (755 foot) long bulk carrier was carrying about 65,000 metric tonnes (72,000 tons) of coal to China and had 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil aboard. It ran aground within hours of departing the Queensland port of Gladstone.
The ship was traveling some 15 kilometers (9 miles) outside of the authorized shipping channel in a restricted part of the world's longest reef, when it rammed the reef at full speed about 70 km (43 miles) east of Great Keppel Island.
How that happened is now the subject of a comprehensive investigation by Commonwealth authorities.
The ship's owners, the Cosco Group, China's largest shipping company, could be fined more than $1 million and its captain $220,000, said Premier Bligh.
"The government is very conscious of the importance of the Great Barrier Reef environment and ensuring that impacts on its ecology are effectively managed," said Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett in a statement.
Maritime Safety Queensland activated a national oil spill response plan after it was informed of the grounding Saturday night.
Maritime Safety Queensland General Manager Patrick Quirk said professional salvers are on the vessel this morning. They are assessing the structural integrity of the ship and options for refloating it.
"A second tug is due to arrive in the early afternoon to assist the specialized tug already there to stabilize the vessel," Quirk said. "We also have helicopters surveying the coast to prepare early planning in the event of needing to get equipment onto the beach."
Current modeling shows that oil could wash up around the Shoalwater Bay military area within the next two days. But Quirk says this depends on the effectiveness of the dispersants and the prevailing weather.
Premier Bligh said, "We want to get the vessel off the reef with as little damage as possible. We want to prevent the possibility of a larger oil spill."
Salvaging the Shen Neng 1 could take "some weeks" and be "one of most complex and difficult salvage operations we've seen," Bligh said. "It will require all the expertise we can bring to bear."
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says both the federal and Queensland state governments share responsibility for the Chinese coal carrier being without a pilot when it ran aground.
"Despite calls for all such ships to have pilots aboard, both Canberra and Brisbane have bowed to the coal and shipping companies to avoid this common sense requirement," said Senator Brown. "The failure to insist on pilots has been reckless."
"This is a potential disaster in one of the world's greatest natural wonders," Brown said. "But both the Rudd and Bligh governments are planning massive expansion of coal exports throughout the Great Barrier Reef region with no plans for mandatory piloting."
Bligh said 6,000 ships pass by the Great Barrier Reef in the authorized shipping channel without incident every year and that number is expected to increase with the emerging gas industry.
"The authorized shipping channel is not a risky or dangerous channel that's why it doesn't currently require pilots," the premier said. "This ship is miles off any authorized shipping channel."
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
