VZCZCXRO5325
PP RUEHBL
DE RUEHDL #0071 0491212
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181212Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9767
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2592
RUEHBL/AMCONSUL BELFAST 0882
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000071 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON EWWT EPET EFIS SENV EI
SUBJECT: OIL SPILL THREATENS THE COAST OF IRELAND 
 
¶1. (U) On February 14, through the use of aerial pollution 
surveillance equipment, the Irish Coast Guard spotted an oil 
spill 50 miles off the south coast of Ireland.  At the time, 
the spill measured 2.8 miles by 3.1 miles and was located 
close to a Russian aircraft carrier and a tanker.  The Irish 
Coast Guard is working with its British counterpart to 
monitor the spill. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 18, Econoff spoke with John Fearon, 
Director General of the Irish Coast Guard in the Department 
of Transport, about the oil spill.  Fearon estimated that 
there are about 500 tons of oil in the water and that it is 
still on the surface.  He said that the Irish government had 
contacted a representative from the Russian Embassy in Dublin 
who admitted that a Russian aircraft carrier was being 
refueled in the area and confirmed the existence of oil in 
the water but did not confirm that the spill was a result of 
the refueling operation. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Fearon said the Irish and British Coast Guards have 
been monitoring the situation since the governments first 
became aware of the spill on February 14.  He does not 
believe that the oil can be recovered and expected the spill 
to take up to 16 days to reach the Irish coast.  He could not 
predict where the spill would strike the coast.  At this 
point, the Irish Coast Guard cannot say how much oil will 
eventually reached land, but Fearon said he, "would be 
surprised if none reached the coast." 
 
¶4. (U) The spill is located south of Ireland's second largest 
city, Cork.  Other than Cork, the southern coast is sparsely 
populated but tourism and fishing are both important 
industries in the region.  Depending on weather conditions, 
the spill could move east affecting the port city of 
Waterford and eventually the coast of Wales. 
FAUCHER