A barrier for the cruise ship Costa

As soon as the rescue operations are finished, the activities to empty the fuel from the cruise ship Costa Concordia will begin. The ship ran aground last Friday night near to the coast of the Island of Giglio. The environmental risk is very high; it is feared that the ship's 2,400 tonnes of fuel might spill into the sea, causing irreparable damages. In fact, the Island of Giglio is part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park and of the Cetacean Sanctuary. A part, 300 metres to be more precise, of an anti-pollution containment barrier has already been positioned. A total of 900 metres will be placed as a deep-sea barrier and should act as a hindrance to a possible spill, in order to protect the bays close to the ship. Two escape routes have been left and a distance of 40 metres around the ship has been maintained so as to allow interventions on the part of the police patrol boats. The circumscription of the ship is not an easy operation due to problems connected with the sea floor in that area. The anti-pollution barriers are equipped with luminous signals in order to be seen by ships entering into the port.