CORNWALL, Ontario – It could take up to three days to pump oil and other contaminants from a pair of tugboats capsized on the St. Lawrence River in Cornwall.
Tuesday salvage operations for the Lac Manitoba and LCM131 began, with the process of lightering foremost on the agenda.
Lightering takes place when a compromised vessel, in this case the tugboats that capsized two weeks ago while trying to secure a barge on the river, is pumped free of contaminants like fuel and oil.
The Canadian Coast Guard said in a statement it could take up to three days to complete this part of the salvage work.
“Active sheening of oil on the water has not been detected for over a week,” said the coast guard. “The owners of the tugs remain responsible for their vessels and have taken appropriate measures to activate a pollution response and salvage operation.
“The coast guard, along with the commercial oil spill response company ECRC, the owners of the vessels, salvage crews and police are all working on scene to ensure public safety and protection of the marine environment.”
The process of actually righting the tugboats and removing them from the area is presumably expected to take place shortly thereafter.
Representatives with Transport Canada have not yet responded to requests for comment on that matter.
More to come.
