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It could take a salvage crew up to 10 months to remove the wreck of the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that sank off of Italy's Giglio Island earlier this month.
Dutch company Smit Salvage is prepared to begin removing fuel from the sunken vessel -- the first step in the recovery process -- but rough seas and bad weather have delayed the go-ahead order from Italian authorities.
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The oil extraction process is only expected to take up to four weeks if it starts immediately and continues uninterrupted, and the actual removal of the ship could require an additional seven months or more.
As of Friday, Smit had a team of 35 people "on stand-by to start with the vessel survey, ahead of the removal of fuel," as well as all the salvage equipment needed.
"Equipment to remove the fuel include a crane/work barge with pumps, hoses, air-diving equipment, [while a] steam/heating plant onboard have been mobilized... and are ready to start the work," Smit stated.
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The time-frame has residents of Giglio Island worried. The longer the ship stays in the water, the greater the chance of an environmental disaster occurring in a body of water that has has received awards for being the cleanest and clearest in Italy. Additionally, an oil spill could damage the area's rich fishing grounds, as well as the protected Pelagos marine mammal preserve that covers northern Italy, Monaco and part of the French Riviera.
The ship is already leaking light fuel, the Associated Press reported on Saturday, and a perimeter of oil-absorbing material has been built around the Concordia.
Aside from fuel, chemicals, determent, solvent and other materials could contaminate the waters. Likewise, deck furniture, garbage and many other items on board could fall out of the ship; a number of tables and chairs were visible floating around the wreck days after the accident.
"They say there is not going to be any environmental damage, but we are not stupid," Riccardo Vicchianti, the son of a Giglio resident, told The Associated Press.
"The damage to the environment is strong. If I think of just one cabin, it's like throwing a whole bar into the sea. That alone, I think, can pollute with just what it contains. Imagine a floating town!"
The Costa company has already taken a financial hit in the wake of the Concordia disaster, but the 10-month clean-up could affect Giglio too. The island is a popular destination for Italian tourists in the summer. The population swells from 1,000 to 15,000 people during the summer months, but an environmental concerns could keep visitors, divers and snorkelers away, The Telegraph noted on Monday.
Moreover, the rescue and salvage boats could clog the harbor and keep out celebrity yachters.
"It will be a long operation but we need to make sure the holiday season won't be ruined," Mayor of Giglio Sergio Ortelli told SkyTG24.
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