A worsening weather picture may prove costly to the environment in the salvage of the RMS Mulheim's toxic cargo in the coming days believe clean water advocates Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).

Whilst some of the pollutants, in the form of paint and lube oil have been taken off over the weekend, the full cargo of 2000 tonnes of plastic car waste and an estimated 20 tonnes of diesel oil remain on board. This is a full 10 days on from when the Mulheim initially became stranded on rocks in Gamper Bay, near Lands End.

SAS's main concern is that an increasing swell combined with strong onshore winds over the next couple of days will present the salvage operation with an almost impossible task in safely recovering all of the cargo now that the cargo hatches have been opened. We understand further equipment and machinery has had to be sourced as some of the original machinery was not able to effectively deal with offloading the cargo.

Richard Hardy, Campaigns Assistant for SAS says: "We recognise the extreme engineering difficulties facing the salvage team in retrieving this cargo. However opening the cargo hatches (which cannot now be closed) when the equipment is not yet here may put the safety of the marine environment in jeopardy over the coming days".

SAS are continuing to press the shoreline response team to salvage the vessel as well as the cargo to ensure the vessel does not prove a costly polluter to the region in the coming years.

For further information please contact Richard Hardy or Vicky Garner on Tel: 01872 553001 or Mob: 07817 401480.

The Story so far...

"Mulheim continues to break up"

"CARRY ON MULHEIM"

" CONCERN OVER DECISION TO LEAVE THE MULHEIM TO BREAK UP."

"A LUCKY ESCAPE FOR THE BEACHES"

"TOXIC CARGO FAR FROM SAFE SAY SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE"

"MULHEIM UPDATE - DAY 17"

"3 WEEKS ON AND THE MULHEIM CONTINUES TO PUT ENVIRONMENT AT RISK."

"SAS express disappointment at decision to leave Mulheim on the rocks"

"COCKTAIL OF NASTIES!"

"MULHEIM PLASTIC FOUND ON NEWQUAY'S GOLDEN SANDS"

"MULHEIMS 'DIRTY' CARGO SPREADING FAR AND WIDE"

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