A U.S. tug boat pulled the disabled Russian cargo ship Simushir off Canada’s west coast on Sunday, Oct.19, 2014.
Photo Credit: Maritime Forces Pacific hand out/CP

Ship incident raises Pacific coast safety concerns

A drifting Russian cargo ship was finally towed and is being repaired in Prince Rupert on Canada’s west coast, but the incident has raised concern about Canada’s ability to avert marine disasters. The Simushir lost power Thursday night and it took a tugboat from the United States to establish a tow line and get it into port Monday morning.

The fear was the that the ship could run aground and spill its hundreds of tons of fuel into the pristine waters around a group of islands called Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. A Canadian coast guard vessel had tried to tow the ship, but the tow line broke three times.

Marine analysts say the coast guard does not have the resources to handle a potential disaster.  The incident will give ammunition to environmentalists who oppose the building of two pipelines to carry fuel to west coast ports to be loaded onto ships. They have already expressed worry about big ships navigating difficult waters in this environmentally sensitive area.

Categories: Environment & Animal Life, Society
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