GlobalFreePress
Fair and Balanced News from Around the Globe
http://globalfreepress.com/

Title    Officials expanding probe of tanker spill (1/2 million gl)
Date    Thursday December 02, @08:02PM
Author    admin
Topic    OIL
from the dept.
http://globalfreepress.com/article.pl?sid=04/12/03/0610222

If a tanker dumps it's load in the deleware and nobody reports it, does that mean there's NOTHING to clean up? Back to your lives consumers'

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm
By TIMOTHY LOGUE, tlogue@delcotimes.com
12/02/2004

The search for what caused a Greek tanker to hemorrhage tens, and possibly hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River will extend south to the Commodore Barry Bridge, Coast Guard officials said Wednesday.

"Since we have not found the cause, we are extending the search another six miles to the Commodore Barry and instituting draft restrictions," said Coast Guard Captain Jonathan D. Sarubbi, the officer in charge of the Port of Philadelphia.

Until further notice, ships which draw more than 34 feet of water will not be allowed to travel the river during low tide. By comparison, the Greek tanker, which leaked the oil Friday night, Athos I, draws 36.5 feet of water.

The restrictions will remain in place while the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers continue their search for what gashed the tanker, which may have discharged as much as 473,000 gallons of Venezuelan crude into the river. Initial reports put the spill at 30,000 gallons. The actual amount will not be known until whatever oil remains in the ship is pumped out.

By midday Wednesday, remnants of the spill covered a 55-mile stretch of the river, from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge to six miles south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Approximately 600 contractors assisted 250 federal and state workers with the cleanup and investigation.

On the river, multi-beam sonar, magnetometers and divers have been utilized to locate the object which struck the hull of the Athos I, which docked in Paulsboro, N.J.

"There are old anchors, anchor chains, even cars, in the river," Sarubbi said.

more...


Links

  1. "http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm" - http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1675&dept;_id=18171&newsid;=13476130&PAG;=461&rfi;=9
  2. "more..." - http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1675&dept;_id=18171&newsid;=13476130&PAG;=461&rfi;=9

© Copyright 2004 - GlobalFreePress.com, All Rights Reserved

printed from GlobalFreePress, Officials expanding probe of tanker spill (1/2 million gl) on 2004-12-05 04:50:48