Ship: Govt wants cargo off
2003-08-22 17:59
Cape Ton - The department of environment affairs says it has demanded "as a matter or urgency" that the owners of the stricken Sealand Express come up with a plan to remove her cargo.
It also revealed on Friday that in addition to 50 tons of uranium ore concentrate and hazardous industrial chemicals, the vessel is carrying 18 000kg of a form of the toxic metal antimony.
The ship, which grounded on a sandy bottom off Sunset Beach in Table Bay on Tuesday, has firmly resisted several attempts to tow her back into the bay.
She is carrying a cargo of 1 037 containers.
"We are asking the owners of the vessel to present us, as a matter of urgency, with a removal plan," department spokesperson Mava Scott told Sapa on Friday.
On Thursday, environment affairs threatened to arrest the Sealand Express if it did not get "full and complete" access to information on what it was carrying.
Scott said on Friday the department had received a copy of the cargo manifest.
"We have received it, and are satisfied with the disclosure of the cargo information," he said.
The manifest was forwarded to the department at noon via the SA Maritime Safety Authority.
Igniters
Scott confirmed the ship had 33 containers containing hazardous material.
On the list were three container loads of uranium oxide; fireworks listed as "igniters"; corrosive liquids; and 18,000kg of an "oxide form of antimony", a toxic metal.
He said the department would now study the manifest to determine the best course of action in handling the hazardous material.
"We are currently busy with this assessment. What we are now concerned about is the removal of the 33 hazardous containers from the ship."
Maritime experts told Sapa this week that the removal of the containers would be "problematic".
They said the containers were too heavy to be lifted by helicopter, and using a floating crane would be extremely hazardous.
Scott said the department was "counting on the level of cooperation between all the stakeholders" to come up with a plan.
"We are hoping some strategy will be devised.
"Some people have spoken about... building a causeway out to the ship... we are prepared to look at strategies and proposals of that nature."
Asked what the environmental impact of building such a causeway on the area around Sunset Beach, he said this would have to be looked at.
Should seek assistance
"But we are very concerned - a plan (to remove the cargo) must be forthcoming soon," Scott said.
Earlier, United Democratic Movement environment spokesperson Nonhlanhla Nkabinde said environment minister Valli Moosa should "urgently" seek assistance from a foreign government that had the equipment needed to airlift containers off the stranded vessel.
"This possible ecological disaster has to be avoided at all cost," she said.
Clare Gomes, spokesperson for salvors Smit Marine, said late on Friday afternoon a bid was under way to remove a leaking barrel of flammable propyl acetate from one of the containers.
The leak was noticed before the Sealand Express went aground; the barrel is expected to be airlifted off.
Gomes also said about 400 tons of fuel had already been pumped off the vessel through hoses into the tug Pacific Worker.
The Sealand Express is carrying 3&nmbsp;700 tons of fuel oil.
The operation, aimed at lightening the vessel for another refloating attempt, began shortly after midnight on Thursday.
"It's gone as expected given the weather conditions," Gomes said. "The guys are on board and ready for operations 24 hours a day."
No SA inquiry
She said people should not be surprised if, given stoppages for weather, the pumping took seven or eight days.
SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) operations manager Captain Bill Dernier told Sapa there would be no formal South African inquiry into the grounding of the vessel.
The reason was there had been "no purposeful grounding of the ship".
An inquiry into whether there had been any "negligence and incompetence" on the part of the ship's master that could have led to the grounding would be carried out by the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
The Sealand Express sails under an American flag.
USCG representatives arrived in South Africa on Wednesday to begin a probe.
"The Coast Guard will sanction the master if he is found to have been negligent or incompetent," Dernier said.
Dernier said he would be comparing notes with the USCG representatives, which would contribute to a confidential report that would not be made public.
- SAPA