WHEN the biggest supertankers run aground, they are likely to cause even
worse oil spills than experts expected, according to Danish researchers. Their
findings may mean that the design of the largest tankers is inadequate.
The design of oil tankers follows guidelines laid down by the International
Maritime Organization, a London-based UN agency set up to promote safety at sea
and prevent pollution from ships.
After the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1989,
spilling 260 000 barrels of crude oil, the IMO drew up design guidelines that
took into account the effect of oil…
