The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has activated its emergency response plan for the Richard's Bay area.
A team comprised of all the relevant environment and disaster response agencies has been mobilised to put in place necessary measures to protect the coastline against any possible pollution from the "Smart" which ran agroun in KwaZulu-Natal. In the midday hours of Aug 22 the vessel's fuel tanks were still intact, however several cargo hatches have sustained damage resulting in the release of some coal cargo. A monitoring plan was being prepared to investigate the potential impact of coal and The department's immediate priority was to close off the Mhlathuze Sanctuary - located south of the grounding site - from any possible oil spills, which is a breeding and nursing area for important fish species, and it provides a home to over 20 000 birds of various types. The department, working closely with the local authorities, has put in place steps to respond as quickly as possible to any oil spills that may affect the nearby beaches, and continues to remain on high alert should the situation deteriorate.