Coal Ship Strikes Shoals Off Great Barrier Reef, May Disintegrate.

[jimmy olsen]

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36164608/ns/world_news-world_environment/

Ship on Barrier Reef may disintegrate
Coal carrier hits shoals at full speed off Australia

updated 10:19 a.m. ET April 4, 2010

BRISBANE, Australia - A coal-carrying ship that strayed outside a shipping lane and ran aground in protected waters was leaking oil on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and was in danger of breaking apart, officials said Sunday.

The Chinese Shen Neng 1 ran aground late Saturday on Douglas Shoals, a favorite pristine haunt for recreational fishing east of the Great Keppel Island tourist resort. The shoals — off the coast of Queensland state in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — are in a protected part of the reef where shipping is restricted by environmental law.

Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world's largest coral reef, which is off northeast Australia and listed as a World Heritage site.

The ship hit the reef at full speed, nine miles outside the shipping lane, State Premier Anna Bligh said. "This area is off limits partly because it is the national park, but also there is high risk of running aground," she added.

A police boat was standing by to remove the 23 crew if the ship broke apart and an evacuation was necessary, she said.

An oil slick about two miles long and 100 yards wide was seen Sunday. The ship had about 1,000 tons of fuel aboard.

"We are now very worried we might see further oil discharged from this ship," Bligh told reporters.

Badly damaged
Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Patrick Quirk said the vessel was badly damaged on its port side.

   
"At one stage last night, we thought the ship was close to breaking up," he told reporters. "We are still very concerned about the ship."

"It is in danger of actually breaking a number of its main structures and breaking into a number of parts," he added.

A salvage contract had been signed, but the operation would be difficult and assessing the damage to the ship could take a week, Quirk said.

Bligh said she feared the salvage operation could spill more oil, which could reach the mainland coast within two days.

Local emergency crews were on standby to clean any oil that reached mainland beaches, she said.

Aircraft on Sunday began spraying a chemicals on the oil patches to disperse it, she said.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said authorities had been working through the night to determine what risks the ship posed to the environment.

"The government is very conscious of the importance of the Great Barrier Reef environment and ensuring that impacts on its ecology are effectively managed," Garrett said in a statement.

The 755 foot bulk carrier was carrying about 72,000 U.S. tons of coal to China and ran aground within hours of leaving the Queensland port of Gladstone.

Conservationists have expressed outrage that bulk carriers can travel through the reef without a marine pilot with local expertise.

"The state government is being blinded by royalties and their shortsightedness will go down in history as killing the reef," said Larissa Waters, spokeswoman for the Queensland Greens, an environmentally focused political party.

Bligh said the question of when ships should require a marine pilot on the reef was under review because of the increase in freight traffic that will flow from new gas and coal export contracts to China.

She said a separate inquiry would determine how the ship came to stray from its shipping lane.

Quirk said state authorities were seeking information about the effect the coal could have on the reef environment if the ship broke up before its cargo can be salvaged.


© 2010 The Associated Press.

[Jaron]

LOL!

BUH BYE Coral Reef!

[jimmy olsen]

LOL!

BUH BYE Coral Reef!

I expected something like

"No! Not the precious coal!"

from you.

[Neil]

Typical Chinese incompetance.

[Ed Anger]

Fuck Australia.

[Queequeg]

 
Anychance we could blow it up before it does any damage to the reef?  Fuck. 

[Neil]

Anychance we could blow it up before it does any damage to the reef?  Fuck.

[Queequeg]

Anychance we could blow it up before it does any damage to the reef?  Fuck.

Presumably, fire would burn off some of the oil and turn it in to CO-2 rather than fucking up the reef.   Coal doesn't explode as well as oil though, obviously.    Mostly, I just want whoever is responsible for this punished, though. 

[Jaron]

Anychance we could blow it up before it does any damage to the reef?  Fuck.

Don't act like this actually concerns you in the least. This is the type of thing people express dismay and outrage about but don't actually give a fuck about. Your life will be no different if any wildlife or coral reefs die.

[Ed Anger]

Sadly, the boat full of Armenians made it safely through.

[Jaron]

Accidents happen. This is the price of modernity. No punishment needed.

[Admiral Yi]

State Premier Anna Bligh

I got a tiny chuckle out of the name.

[Neil]

Presumably, fire would burn off some of the oil and turn it in to CO-2 rather than fucking up the reef.   Coal doesn't explode as well as oil though, obviously.    Mostly, I just want whoever is responsible for this punished, though.

Why would China allow itself to be punished?

[HisMajestyBOB]

Sadly, the boat full of Armenians made it safely through.

They don't burn as well as coal, but they'll have to do.

[The Brain]

A coal-carrying ship that strayed outside a shipping lane

Now I understand how they ended up in Italy and ignited the renaissance.