A Hundred Litres

More than 100 litres of diesel leaked from a passenger ship into the Moselle River near Detzem, Germany, on Wednesday. The ship was carrying 124 people. German water police said the spill was probably caused by a technical fault. The vessel must remain in the lock until it undergoes a technical inspection.[1]

Local firefighters are tackling an oil slick that has spread across the water. Strong currents are complicating containment efforts. The Moselle flows downstream toward Luxembourg. What happens in Detzem does not stay in Detzem.[1]

The river that was already dying

The Moselle was already at record-low water levels. The Water Management Administration had banned river extraction. Blue-green algae had forced the cancellation of the Ironman in Remich. The river was already struggling. And now a passenger ship has poured 100 litres of diesel into it.[1]

The heatwave is easing. The cloudy relief has arrived. The temperature dropped from 34°C to 30°C. And the Moselle, which survived the record-low water levels, the algae blooms, and the bathers at capacity, now gets an oil slick. The cascade does not end when the temperature drops. It changes form. The heat goes. The pollution stays.[1]