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Countermeasures/ Mitigation

Over 10,000 tons of detergents, primarily BP1002, which contained 12 percent
nonionic surfactant and 3 percent stabilizer, were sprayed on the floating oil
to emulsify and disperse it.  Forty-two vessels were chartered for the spraying
operation.  Concentrations of 10 parts per million or less of these detergents
were acutely toxic to many marine mammals and plants.  Many limpets on
intertidal rocks in the spray area were killed.  A prodigious growth of green
weed occurred due to enhanced nutrients from the dispersants.  Detergents were
not used on the 40-mile long coastal section between Trebeurden and Ile de
Brehat so that inshore shellfish would not be contaminated with toxic components
of detergents.

Manual removal methods, including the use of straw and gorse to soak up oil,
were used on many of the sandy beaches on the north coast of Brittany.  Cleanup
operations included pumping and bailing of oil as well as bulldozing of oiled
sand on the beaches.  Over  1,400 personnel from the British armed services
assisted with beach cleanup.  Approximately 4,000 tons of oil and oil emulsions
were removed from the foreshores of Guernsey and 4,200 tons were removed from
French beaches.

The French treated floating oil with approximately 3,000 tons of natural chalk
containing stearic acid which made the chalk oleophilic.  It was believed that
this chalk caused the oil to sink or disperse.  The high density of the floating
oil, the length of time the oil had been at sea, and relatively calm seas
contributed to the apparent success of this method.

After considering the options of towing the vessel or attempting to pump oil off
the vessel while it was still on the reef, government authorities decided to
bomb the vessel to burn the remaining oil.  The vessel was bombed by the Royal
Navy on March 28-30 during periods of low water when the vessel was in clear
view.  A Navy helicopter dropped napalm, sodium chlorate, and aviation fuel to
fuel the fire.