'Tar balls' wash up on Blackpool coast after 80,000 litres of oil leaks into Irish Sea

An oil pipeline that supplies fuel to the Isle of Man from Conwy in North Wales suffered a failure on Monday, February 14.Oil company Eni UK confirmed there was "a release of hydrocarbons" approximately 33km from the North Wales Coast as a result.

On Wednesday (February 16), Eni UK confirmed they were "aware of a number of small tar balls washing up on a section of the Blackpool coast."

"The clean-up teams are onsite and working closely with the local authorities and coastguard," a spokesman added.

Blackpool lies about 40 miles (64km) north-east of where the spill happened.

The tar balls reportedly washed up on Central Beach between North Pier and Central Pier.

A spokesman for Blackpool Council said: "Due to tidal conditions and a forecast of extreme weather conditions over the next few days, there is a possibility of more washing up.

"Our beaches will mostly be chained off due to high tides and storm force winds during this time, and we ask that people avoid these stretches to avoid any contact.

"Do not attempt to remove any tar ball deposits. Instead, please call 01253 477600 to report any suspected incidents."

Eni UK processes crude oil to produce fuels, lubricants and chemical products and is involved with offshore drilling in the UK.

The Environment Agency said they were working to "investigate the cause and reduce any possible impacts to the environment."

"Members of the public can report incidents of this nature to our 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60," a spokeswoman for the Environment Agency added.

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