France's Total among 15 in the dock over Erika oil spill - AFP

France's Total among 15 in the dock over Erika oil spill

by Jean-Louis Pany

Sat Feb 10, 3:23 AM ET

PARIS (AFP) - The first trial in France over a major environmental disaster will open
on Monday to decide whether oil giant Total and other parties bear responsibility for
the massive oil spill from the Erika shipwreck in 1999.

A 25-year-old rusting tanker, Erika was carrying 30,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil when
it sank off France's Brittany coast on December 12, 1999, polluting vast stretches of
the Atlantic coastline and killing thousands of seabirds.

Fifteen parties including Total, the tanker owners, a charter company, a vessel
classification firm and maritime authorities are in the dock on various charges of
endangering lives, causing pollution or failing to respond to a disaster.

Total executive Bernard Thouillin and two of the company's affiliates -- Total Transport
Corporation and Total Petroleum Services -- are to answer accusations that they
chartered a tanker of dubious seaworthiness in order to meet a tight deadline for delivery
of the cargo to Italy.

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