Americas News
U.S. Officials Order Removal of Ship Leaking Oil
Environmental officials in the U.S. state of Washington say they have ordered the removal of a wrecked ship that is leaking oil into Commencement Bay in Tacoma.
The 167-foot vessel, the Helena Star, sank on January 25, 2013, and also dragged down a 130-foot fishing vessel, Golden West.
The vessels remain in the bay and despite salvage efforts that removed oil from the affected Hylebos Waterway, the Helena Star has continued to leak small amounts of residual oil.
The state's Department of Ecology says it is concerned that toxic contaminants such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenols, and asbestos may be released from paint and other materials on the ship, and it has ordered those responsible for the vessel to remove it.
The two ships were moored and waiting to be dismantled when they sank, having been there for "a couple of years," the Associated Press reported the day after the sinking.
State officials said they have had trouble finding the funding to dismantle a number of derelict vessels and has not been able to deal with them as quickly as officials would have liked.
