Manolis L
The Manolis L was a Liberian-flagged ship that sank in Newfoundland and Labrador's Notre Dame Bay in 1985, together with her damaging supply of toxic fuel oil.[1] The ship was a timber carrier, that sank to 85 metres (279 ft). She contained 150,000 litres (33,000 imp gal) of fuel oil.[2][3] She ran aground on Blow Hard Rock, of the Change Islands.[4]
The oil was contained, within the ship, until a storm in 2013 cracked the hull.[5] Since then some oil leaked from the hull, and the Canadian Coast Guard was able to contain some of that oil.[1] But the wreck has been described as a "ticking time bomb", that could suffer a total rupture of the oil tank, at any time.[6][7]
When divers made an assessment of the wreck, in 2016, because of the extreme pressure changes, it took an hour to descend.[4] They were only able to spend half an hour working, before they had to spend an hour and a half managing their return to the surface.
Efforts to safely pump out the oil began on August 8, 2018. Because of the depth the work was performed by remotely operated vessels.[6] The oil was completely removed by September 8, 2018.[2]
References
- ^ a b
Holly Lake (2016-07-27). "Salvage study contract issued for Manolis L wreck". iPolitics.ca. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
When the Manolis sank, it took an estimated 462 tons of Bunker C fuel, 60 tons of diesel and 22.5 tonnes of lube oil to the bottom. How much remains on board isn't clear, but the information gleaned from the assessment will help plan how best to remove what is there.
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"Contractor completes oil removal from sunken Manolis L near Change Islands". CBC News. 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
The Manolis L, a paper carrier, sank in Notre Dame Bay in 1985 with 150,000 litres of oil aboard. Early last month, work began to remove that oil using remotely operated underwater vehicles, or ROVs, to avoid risks to human divers and allow for longer dives.
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"'We're just thrilled': Oil from Manolis L shipwreck to be cleaned out this summer". CBC News. 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
The cleanup is a complicated process, involving specialized equipment and skills that could have to be sourced from elsewhere in the world.
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Christy Janes (2016-08-26). "Technical assessment underway on the Manolis L." Gander Beacon. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
It takes the divers about one hour to get down to the Manolis L. because they have to stop and adjust for the pressure, they work for about 30 minutes and then it takes about an hour and half to come back up to the surface.
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Holly Lake (2018-08-08). "Work begins to remove oil from sunken Manolis L off Newfoundland coast". iPolitics.ca. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
The Coast Guard has been monitoring the wreck in the years since, patching things up and catching some of the oil that was escaping. But the thought of it breaking open in a harsh winter storm was a constant worry among residents.
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"Manolis L a 'time bomb' for more oil leaks, warn residents". CBC News. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
Documents obtained by CBC News show the agency wanted to know how much it would cost to remove all the oil still in the Manolis L, but the results are blacked out.
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