Cargo Removed from Sunken Tank Barge
U.S. Coast Guard response crews and salvors with T&T Salvage have completed operations to remove hazardous chemicals from the Lake Erie sunken tanker barge Argo, say company officials and authorities.
As weather allowed, T&T’s salvage team worked methodically, removing hazardous substances from the sunken barge. The substances were then pumped into receiving tanks on board a work barge at the site.
The barge, which sank in a storm in 1937, was discovered to be leaking in October. At the time of the barge sinking, a news report estimated 100,000 gallons of crude oil and 100,000 gallons of benzol were on board, but this information could not be verified.
An initial investigation earlier in November showed the tank contained benzene with some toluene, xylene and trace elements of petroleum.
The sunken barge is located away from commercial ship traffic in 44 feet of water.
The Coast Guard has utilized the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act to conduct pollution mitigation operations. No injuries, wildlife impact or pollution have been reported.
“The Unified Command, consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Ohio EPA, worked in partnership with other federal, state and local agencies ensuring that safety of the responders and the public of Lake Erie’s surrounding shores remained their highest priority throughout response operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Shaun Edwards, federal on scene coordinator. “Due to the diligence and collaborative efforts of all those involved in the response, the Unified Command was satisfied that the barge does not continue to pose a safety or environmental hazard.”
The Argo was a high-priority recovery for environmental officials, and NOAA had listed it as the most potentially hazardous shipwreck in the Great Lakes.
In September, T&T responded to a tank barge collision in the Mississippi River, salvaging and lightering a damaged barge and managing a spill of 2,800 barrels of heavy clarified slurry oil. The slurry quickly sank to the river's bottom, and T&T designed a recovery system that included an environmental clam shell with a geo-referencing system to safely recover the sunken oil.
“These successful sub-surface pollution response operations demonstrate T&T’s unique combination of marine salvage and pollution response expertise,” said Jim Elliott, T&T’s Vice President.