HALIFAX – The Canadian Coast Guard says a visual inspection has found additional damage to the hull of a large bulk carrier stranded off Cape Breton.
Coast guard officials say the MV Miner also appears to have shifted closer to the shore of Scatarie Island.
Efforts to remove three-thousand litres of oily water still inside the vessel have been halted by high seas caused by bad weather.
The aging ship was being towed to Turkey to be scrapped when the tow line broke and it ran aground two weeks ago.
Repeated attempts to pull it free have failed.
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Meanwhile, the Nova Scotia government has arrested the Greek tug that was towing the vessel.
A government spokeswoman confirmed the move several hours after Premier Darrell Dexter said he would make sure the stricken vessel is quickly removed if the current salvage operation gets bogged down.
Karen White says the government is negotiating with the lawyer for the tug Hellas “to protect provincial interests” in the event the environment is affected and the province needs to “recoup those costs.”
Salvage could cost $24 million
The Nova Scotia government says the salvage and cleanup costs associated with removing an old bulk carrier stranded off Cape Breton could hit $24 million if the ship breaks up.
The estimate is contained in court documents filed by the province with the Federal Court.
An affidavit from Duff Montgomerie, deputy minister of the Natural Resources Department, says salvage of an intact ship would probably cost about $600,000.
The affidavit was used to secure an arrest warrant for the Greek-owned Hellas, the tug that was towing the MV Miner when the ship broke free on Sept. 20 and ran aground off Scatarie Island.
Repeated attempts to free the ship have failed.
The province has also filed a statement of claim seeking the costs associated with the salvage, towing and cleanup of the hulk, which was headed to the scrapyard.
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