Removal of Costa Concordia 'could pollute sea' around island of Giglio

The removal of the Costa Concordia threatens to pollute the pristine waters around the Italian island of Giglio where the ship capsized two years ago, according to a new report which has angered local officials and environmentalists.

The technical report prepared by the ship's parent company, Costa Cruises, says that the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea could be contaminated with chemicals and hydrocarbons as the ship is refloated and towed away in July.

The report seek to play down possible pollution as "temporary and of little significance" but the company says it also wants to ensure that nets, skimming machines and other equipment are in place to recover oil and other materials expected to be released from the 950-ft liner when it is moved.

Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli said he was shocked at the potential damage the ship's removal could cause to the island's protected waters and tourism industry.

"Costa Cruises, without paying attention to the impact that these public announcements can have on the economy of our island, is going ahead on its own," he said.

The government's own watchdog, the Environmental Observatory, criticised the report as "deficient" and said it did not establish adequate measures to contain pollutants in what is considered a highly sensitive marine environment.

The president of the Tuscany region, Enrico Rossi, called for the government to "step in".

Franco Gabrielli, head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, dismissed concerns about the project and said that the removal of the Concordia would be done with the "maximum environmental and job related security possible". He is due to meet interested parties on Monday to finalise plans for the ship's removal.

The complex operation to refloat the Concordia, which rests semi-submerged on a giant underwater platform, is expected to take place between July 12 and 14.

If it is successfully refloated, final checks will be carried out before the ship is towed by tug boats 150 miles north to Genoa, where it will be dismantled for scrap.

The Costa Concordia capsized near the shores of Giglio on January 13, 2012 and 32 people lost their lives.

Ship Captain Francesco Schettino is on trial for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship in a court in Grosseto, Tuscany.

He was allegedly attempting a risky sail-past of Giglio when the ship hit rocky shallows, gouging a huge tear in its hull.

He has denied any wrongdoing, saying the rocks that the ship hit were not marked on his nautical charts and that his officers on the bridge misunderstood his instructions.