Tourists offered website to spot polluted beaches

EurActiv, July 29, 2008

'Water Watch - Eye on the Earth', an internet site developed by the European Environment Agency, will allow holidaymakers to freely verify whether the beaches they plan to bathe at are clean or polluted.
The website, launched today (30 July), provides up-to-date information on the quality of bathing water of thousands of beaches in Europe, with an easy 'traffic-light' system displaying a red light for polluted waters, a green light for clean ones and a yellow light for areas not sufficiently monitored. Read more...

Disaster in Black Sea as storm sinks tanker

Guardian Unlimited, November 12 2007

The Black Sea region suffered its worst environmental disaster in years after an oil tanker sank in stormy weather last night. The bodies of five seamen have been recovered and up to 18 are still missing after the storm struck 10 ships in the Strait of Kerch, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Crewmen aboard the Russian oil tanker, the Volganeft-139, were rescued. It split in two and spilled at least 1,300 tonnes of oil. The severe weather prevented emergency workers from collecting the oil, which authorities said was sinking to the seabed. Read more...