The Beaulieu River has carried out an oil spill exercise in partnership with marine and conservation agencies to plan its response to a potential emergency.
Experts from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Marine Police, Marine Management Organisation, Natural England, Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council and the Beaulieu Estate gathered at a command centre at Needs Ore Point to take part in Exercise Warren.
The exercise tested their response to the scenario of an oil spill, with a grounded vessel leaking fuel into the river. Harbour Master Wendy Stowe put her team through their paces by deploying marine booms from Warren Beach to contain the spillage and prevent it from spreading to environmentally sensitive wildlife habitats.
Wendy said:
“The exercise was carried out under the watchful eye of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and our Marine Consultant was there to ensure that everything went by the book. At the end of the day, he was pleased to report great feedback from the MCA. The exercise strengthened our partnerships with supporting organisations to plan for a multi-agency response if it is ever required.”
Follow the latest news from the Beaulieu River on Facebook /beaulieuriver and Twitter @BeaulieuRiver.
@2x.png)
