Car oil pollution forces closure of Þingvellir car park
Flosagjá. Photo: Ómar Óskarsson
One of the car parks at Iceland’s Þingvellir National Park will be closed amid reports that water has been polluted by oil leaks from tour vehicles.
A spokesperson from Þingvellir National Park told Icelandic daily Morgunblaðið that UNESCO had recommended closing the car park by the cold-water Flosagjá pool and that they planned to act upon that recommendation.
Flosagjá. Photo: Season Tours
According to park ranger Ólafur Örn Haraldsson, there have been several cases so far this year of oil leaks from vehicles at the car park making their way into the pristine waters of Flosagjá, a transparent pool shimmering with coins tossed in by visitors.
The car park will soon be open only to the elderly, infirm and disabled visitors.
“We want to close the car park both for environmental reasons and to improve the overall look of the park,” says Haraldsson.
Diving at Flosagjá. Photo: Gísli Arnar Guðmundsson
