James Wild raises urgent concerns over environmental impact ships’ crash could have on North West Norfolk coast

James Wild has raised urgent concerns in Parliament about the potential environmental impact of yesterday’s collision between a cargo ship and oil tanker.

Overnight fires burned after the MV Solong and the US-chartered Stena Immaculate collided in the sea at Humberside on Monday morning.

Today, concerns were raised that fuel spilled in the incident could make its way to the Norfolk coast - with “vile” smells reaching Hunstanton and Heacham.

The incident resulted in explosions and fires on both vessels, with the Stena Immaculate carrying 23,000 tonnes of jet fuel.

Mr Wild, the North West Norfolk MP, highlighted the environmental significance of his constituency, which includes the Norfolk coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), The Wash, and other vital habitats that support diverse ecosystems and a thriving fishing industry.

He has therefore called for a risk assessment to evaluate the potential pollution along the east coast to Norfolk, regular updates on containment efforts, and a commitment to keeping the public informed as the situation develops.

Speaking in Parliament, he said: “My constituency has the Norfolk coast AONB and other vital habitats including The Wash as well as a fishing fleet.

“So given the location of this collision there is concern locally about the potential impact - so when will a risk assessment be done about the potential risk of pollution down the east coast to Norfolk, what action is being taken to contain it, and will he commit to keep the public informed?”

MP Mike Kane, Under Secretary to the Department of Transport, replied: “Maritime and Coastguard Authority assets are deployed currently to assess and monitor any potential environmental impacts of this accident.

“He is right - it is a rich biodiverse area. The priority still remains to get the fire on the Solong out so we can get a proper evaluation of the situation.

“Once we get that done and once the fire is out, I can tell him that we will use every resource possible to, one, ascertain the extent of the pollution and, two, to clear it up.”