Latest news with #MSCBalticIII
CBC
25-04-2025
- General
- CBC
Company needs to take action in tackling grounded vessel, says Qalipu chief
MSC Baltic III has been aground for over two months The chief of Qalipu First Nation says the owners of a cargo ship run aground in western Newfoundland need to take immediate action in advancing its cleanup — and make the Indigenous group part of the process. "We need to be included in this conversation," Jenny Brake told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning on Wednesday. "They need to understand that our traditional knowledge can guide a process like this in a good, meaningful way." The MSC Baltic III has been grounded near Lark Harbour for more than two months. It still holds nearly 1,600 tonnes of heavy fuel. The Canadian Coast Guard reported earlier this month that tar balls the size of tennis balls have been appearing on the shoreline near the grounded vessel. The vessel also sits in a hard to access area. Lark Harbour Mayor Wade Park had requested a nearby ATV road be fixed up to allow easier access, but the town has learned that the ship's owner, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), won't commit to helping build it. A request for proposals to build the road was issued over a month ago, Brake says, but no further movement has happened. "We're really confused as to why they're not doing that," she said. "There's boats coming and going and they're checking on it, but really it just feels like everyone's waiting for something really bad to happen and then respond to it." Image | Jenny Brake Caption: Jenny Brake, chief of the Qalipu First Nation, says MSC needs to take immediate action to further the clean up efforts of the run aground ship. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC) Open Image in New Tab Following a post on the Qalipu First Nation website on April 18 about the concerns of the negative environmental impact of the grounded MSC Baltic III, she says MSC contacted her earlier this week. In an email, she says MSC told her it saw her message and wanted her to know the company is doing what it can and would like to meet with her. "We're really hoping that they will put everyone's mind at ease, and they will do the right thing and allow us to be a part of this process. And they will do things, and get it done quickly. Because waiting is not an option," she said. CBC News has requested an interview with MSC but hasn't heard back. Speaking on behalf of Brake, on Thursday Caron Hawco told CBC News that MSC is going to call Brake soon to open up a dialogue with Qalipu First Nation and the company is considering a visit to the region in the near future. Calls for stricter guidelines Brake says Qalipu First Nation has been engaged in talks with the provincial Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Coast Guard since the ship ran aground — but feels the group can bring more to the table. "We have to have oversight of this as the First Nation… These are waters that my family have fished in for generations, and I want my children to fish in, for, you know, generations to come," she said. Brake says she also wants to see stricter federal guidelines in place for future incidents like the MSC Baltic III, adding any company who can't act responsibly on the water shouldn't be allowed on it.
CBC
17-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
MHAs push federal government to clean up grounded cargo vessel, as pollution concern grows
Two months after a cargo shop ran aground on Newfoundland's west coast, politicians are voicing fears of environmental damage and a lack of action, as tar balls are washing up on nearby beaches. On Wednesday in the House of Assembly, Independent MHA for Humber-Bay of Islands Eddie Joyce pressed outgoing Premier Andrew Furey on what is being done to avoid environmental disaster over of the grounded MSC Baltic III, located near Lark Harbour. Joyce says the community and fish harvesters are concerned about a potential oil spill. "The process is very slow and depending on weather conditions," said Joyce. "I understand that this is a federal coast guard issue, but delay would potentially cause a major oil spill and a catastrophe." Furey acknowledged search and rescue efforts, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union and the community for navigating the crisis and ensuring no loss of life. "There does represent a continued environmental threat," said Furey. He says he's written to the Canadian Coast Guard and the federal government to "ensure that they are taking this with this level of urgency and acuity that is required to protect that crucial fishing ground for people in that district." Tar balls rolling in On April 14, the coast guard announced tar balls the size of tennis balls have been appearing on the shoreline near the grounded vessel, creating a greater sense of urgency to remove fuel from the MSC Baltic III. Tar balls are globs of oil that form on the ocean surface and float to shore. Labrador Affairs Minister Lisa Dempster wrote a letter to federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson about the ongoing threat the vessel posed to the region. "I share the concerns of local residents about the impacts these pollutants can have on marine life and fishing grounds," Dempster wrote, urging Thompson to ensure all possible measures are being taken to speed up cleaning efforts to prevent damage to the environment. However, accessing the area around the ship is difficult, and Lark Harbour Mayor Wade Park has requested a nearby ATV road be fixed up to allow easier access. Lark Harbour town clerk Nicola Parker wrote in a letter that the ship's owner, Mediterranean Shipping Company, won't commit to helping build the road. Joyce believes the decision was made due to high costs. "The company is looking at their bottom line, their cheapest option, not the environmental concerns and the possible disaster," said Joyce in the House of Assembly. CBC News has asked Mediterranean Shipping Company for an interview. Headquartered in Switzerland, the company is the largest shipping line in the world and has approximately 900 vessels. Forbes ranks the company's owner, Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte, as the 42nd-richest person in the world. Growing concern Lark Harbour resident Melanie Joyce says the presence of tar balls in the area is alarming, and she has heard of signs of damage on the vessel. "It's only a matter of time before it starts leaking," she said, adding that residents and harvesters are getting frustrated about the lack of action to prevent the spread of pollution. She says a new road is essential, as it would allow them to offload fuel from land. "Government needs to step in and make this happen" she said, adding MSC should help, too. "They have to take responsibility of this ship before something major happens." On April 14, FFAW president Dwan Street told CBC Radio's The Broadcast how crab and lobster harvesters are worried about the area. "We've had some reports of seeing sheen on the water," she said. "[And] with the volume of fuel aboard the vessel, every day that vessel is still there, it's becoming more and more compromised." According to Street, harvesters have noticed problems with the vessel's structural stability. "We know the risk of environmental disaster there. It doesn't really take much for a significant fuel spill to occur, and then we have some really serious problems," she said. Harvesters are also dealing with some space issues with workers taking up space on the wharfs, she says. "Of course, we definitely understand and appreciate that the worst got to get done. But the timing is not ideal," said Street.
CBC
26-03-2025
- General
- CBC
The CBC's Leila Beaudoin got up close and personal with a grounded cargo ship off the coast of N.L.
In February, all 20 crew members of the MSC Baltic III were rescued after the cargo ship became grounded. The ship is still there, and the CBC's Leila Beaudoin got a closer look at the Canadian Coast Guard's operation to protect the ecosystem and remove the vessel.
CBC
07-03-2025
- General
- CBC
The Baltic III cannot be refloated, crews focused on removing fuel and hazardous cargo
Salvage crews working on the MSC Baltic III are facing a daunting task: to safely remove the fuel and cargo from the grounded vessel near Lark Harbour. As of Friday morning, fuel had not yet leaked but the Canadian Coast Guard the process will be difficult.
CBC
07-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Still no timeline to remove grounded cargo ship near Lark Harbour
It's sustainability over speed for the MSC Baltic III cargo ship salvage mission. Nearly a month since the vessel ran aground near Lark Harbour, crews are still working to remove fuel and cargo as the ship sits on the sea floor. "Speed is not the primary goal here. Minimizing environmental impact is the primary goal," said Bruce English, the Canadian Coast Guard's senior response officer for marine environmental and hazards, on Friday. Fisheries and Oceans Canada held a technical briefing Friday morning. They were joined by officials from the coast guard, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Transport Canada. Tim Kerr of Transport Canada said once pollutants are removed, crews can begin planning the potential refloating of the vessel. "At this point we can't say with any certainty, you know, when or whether the vessel will be refloated," said Kerr. When asked by reporters how much the recovery operation will cost, English said that's not a point of focus right now. "It is hard to determine the time frame at this point, but for an operation this size and scale, you can imagine it will be lengthy," he said. English says Canada follows the "polluter pays" principle, which means the vessel's owners will have to foot the bill related to the clean up and address hazards posed by their problem vessel. The company that owns the ship, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, hired TNT Salvage and the Eastern Canada Response Corporation to assess damage and clean up the mess. The cargo aboard the ship contains materials classified as dangerous goods, including fabrics, food products, metals and polymeric beads. There is no immediate threat to human health, but they could cause environmental damage. The ship's cranes still work and may aid the removal of cargo, and an approval to fix a road leading to the area of the ship is forthcoming, English said. Over 1,700 metric tonnes of fuel and marine gas remains on board. The emergency and drone restriction zone in Cedar Cove has been reduced to one nautical mile, but the public is still asked to respect the boundary.
