The Australian Maritime and Safety Authority will join hands with Maritime New Zealand in clean-up efforts near Tauranga Harbor in what could be the most terrible maritime pollution debacle in the country's history.

The New Zealand Navy has also deployed 4 vessels in the area to help in the efforts to avert further pollution, according to reports filed by Al Jazeera.

An additional 300 tons of oil have seeped out from the Rena, which was grounded at the Astrolabe Reef 12 nautical miles off the coast of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, the TNT Magazine said.

New Zealand's Environment Minister Nick Smith mentioned that the cleaning initiative could take several weeks.

As in the case of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on March 24, 1989, the processes could include bio-remediation which entails the application of fertilizers in specific portions of the affected beaches to accelerate the growth of oil-eating microbes.

The methods can also consist of chemical cleaning, hot water and high pressure, manual treatment and mechanical procedures using heavy equipment to scrape asphalt collections.

The use of dispersant chemicals to break up oil into smaller concentrations and skimming which is a mechanical system for removing oil from the sea's surface would probably be employed.

Duncan Gay, New South Wales port minister announced that the state government was also sending in technical personnel and equipment from NSW Maritime and the Sydney Ports Corporation, to support the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Bilateral arrangements exist between the two nations.

Maritime New Zealand revealed the vessel discharged an additional 130 to 350 tons of oil into the Bay of Plenty aside from the initial spill of 20 tons, which has already affected beaches in the environmentally-sensitive area.

In the case of Exxon Valdez, a comprehensive shoreline assessment was undertaken as prerequisite for the beach cleanup. The assessment provided geo-morphological, biological, archaeological and oiling information that were utilized in the development of site specific treatment strategies.