MSC BALTIC III

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Rotting food causing odors, ship to be winterized

The 'MSC Baltic III' is causing an unpleasant odor in the area due to rotting food in its cargo. It is so bad that hydrogen sulfide gas has been detected. The odor is reminiscent of rotten eggs and can even be fatal in high concentrations The odor sometimes wafts towards a nearby village. According to the Coast Guard, there is currently no danger to local residents. The gas levels are being continuously monitored and the salvage crew is taking precautionary measures on site. The ship was carrying 472 containers when it ran aground near Wild Cove, Canada. The majority have been retrieved, and currently, 73 containers remained on board. Most of these containers are below deck and submerged, and their cargo has rotted. Removing the containers will be an unpleasant task, as they must first be emptied before being taken off the ship, which is a complex process. With winter approaching, haste is essential, as the entire area will freeze over, making it virtually impossible for other ships to come alongside. The ''EEMS Dublin', which has been assisting with the salvage operation since May, transporting personnel to the 'MSC Baltic III' and transporting containers away, will likely cease operations once winter sets in. A cableway is currently being installed to transport salvage personnel from the shore in Cedar Cove to the ship. The hope is that the cable car will allow crew to board the ship and that further salvage operations won't have to wait until spring. Containers are also planned to be disembarked by cable car. The Coast Guard has not disclosed the exact layout of the cable car or its completion date. The hull of the 2container ship contains cracks, creating oil slicks, such as small tar spots, in Cedar Cove and the nearby coastline. The slicks are being cleaned as soon as they are found. The Coast Guard is surveying the area using drones. In recent months, 1,665.70 cubic meters of heavy oil and pollutants have been removed from the ship. The tanks are virtually empty and will be cleaned soon. The ship is receiving additional ballast water to keep it stable during inclement weather. Diving inspections are currently underway to gather information to support the winterization plan.

73 containers still on board

A total of 1665.7 m3 of heavy oil and other pollutants have been removed from the ' MSC Baltic III' as of Sep 11. Work was ongoing to clean the residual fuel that remained in the tanks. There were 73 containers remaining onboard the vessel. The majority of these containers were below deck and submerged in water. These containers must be lifted and drained before they can be moved off the vessel. This is a complex process and is being advanced as weather conditions allow operations to continue safely. Fluctuating levels of hydrogen sulfide gas have been detected onboard the 'MSC Baltic III' due to spoiled food in some of the cargo. This was generating an unpleasant smell in the area of the vessel. The levels were being continuously monitored and precautions are being taken by crews working on site. There is no risk to the public. Ballast water was being added to the grounded vessel to help keep the ship stable in preparation for winter and worsening weather conditions. Construction of the cableway system was ongoing. On-water and shoreside surveys, and drone overflights, to monitor for pollution continued as conditions were allowing.

Cableway will offer access to MSC Baltic III during winter

As the summer was drawing to a close, the crews salvaging the grounded MSC Baltic III were turning their focus to making a plan to winterize the 'MSC Baltic III'. Efforts have been ongoing ever since the grounding to assess the ship’s condition and remove any potential pollutants aboard. The bulk of the heavy fuel oil in the ship’s six primary tanks was safely removed earlier in summer. As of Sep 4, most of the residual heavy fuel oil left in those six tanks, which could not be removed by the heating and pumping process, had also been removed. the contractors now considered four of the six primary tanks to be adequately flushed off residual oil. There may be a requirement (for the salvage crew) to do more. The process being employed to cleanse the primary tanks of residual heavy motor fuel involves adding diesel fuel, or marine gas oil, from other, smaller tanks that are aboard the 'MSC Baltic II'I to dilute the heavier fuel oil. All of those other smaller tanks have all been cleansed and have been inspected to the approval of the federal standards required. One thing that is being done in preparation for the coming colder seasons is the construction of a cableway that will provide the crews access to the ship from the Cedar Cove shoreline. Essentially, the cableway will be a sort of zipline that will carry a caged box. It will only be used to transport personnel back and forth. Currently, crews access the 'MSC Baltic III' from either the starboard side by boat via a set of stairs or on the port side via the walk-to-work platform aboard the 'Eems Dublin', which that has been onsite to assist in removing cargo containers from the vessel. A stone pad has been constructed on the hill above the beach at Cedar Cove, from which the cableway system will travel out to the ship’s deck. While use of the cableway will still be weather-dependent, it should provide more consistent access than the two approaches that rely upon steadier sea states. Daily access and after September when the weather starts getting worse will probably drop back to 50 % or more. The 'Eems Dublin' will stay in the area to facilitate the transfer of personnel and containers. It will remain available, as weather permits, until all container operations are done and the cableway system is completed. While the Canadian Coast Guard is mostly concerned about the potential pollutants still aboard the 'MSC Baltic III', the salvage crews have switched their focus for the time being to the ship’s cargo. The 'MSC Baltic' was carrying 472 containers, around half of which were empty. As of Sep 4, 399 of these had been removed, leaving 73 to go. The remaining containers were all below deck and in holds that contained water. The cargo included some food items and some newsprint, some of which has been soaked and likely now too heavy to be lifted out by the ship’s cranes. The wet newsprint has swelled, while the food has been spoiled and continues to decay with each passing day. The rotten food has also generated gases that can make working in the area a challenge, with levels being monitored to determine if personal protection equipment and breathing apparatus might be required for crews. While the Canadian Coast Guard has asked the general public to stay away from the Cedar Cove area while the salvage operations were ongoing, they have not been forcing people to stay away from what has become a popular destination for sightseers. It was still too early to tell if the 'MSC Baltic III' can eventually be refloated and safely towed away from Cedar Cove. Regular dive surveys of the double-hulled ship continue to monitor the underwater, exterior condition of the ship and gather information to help with winterizing the vessel. A schedule for dive operations has been set for the coming months. and dives will likely take place after any significant storms or other events that might raise any cause for concern. The condition of the inner was is still a question that had yet to be answered. Its condition could determine whether or not the ship can be refloated. No tar balls have been found since July, although crews doing beach surveys continue to see and clean up small tar stains in Cedar Cove and nearby shorelines. Report wiith photos: https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/cableway-to-msc-baltic-iii