Oil Leaking from a Sunken Ship Off the Coast of Newfoundland

Oil is leaking from the Manolis L. which sank in 1985 during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland.  The wreck is resting on the sea floor in an area known as Blow Hard Rock — between Bacalao Island and Change Islands. In the last few months oil has been leaking from the ship which is thought to contain 600 tonnes of heavy crude (half a million litres).

The rusting vessel is located 492 feet (140 meters) below the surface of Notre Dame Bay. The Federal Government and The Coast Guard have failed to remove or contain the leaking oil. For 30 years governments have allowed the wreck to disintegrate into a "ticking environmental time bomb."

Environmental advocates are actively lobbying to have the oil removed from the ship. The Canadian Parliament must approve funding for the cleanup. Although they do have a fund set aside for such clean-ups, the Federal government has thus far refused to act.

© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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