‘Accident waiting to happen’: Derelict Russian cruise ship drifts dangerously close to Newfoundland oil platforms
Hugo Miller/Bloomberg News The
Lyubov Orlova is anchored in Pangnirtung Fjord, Nunavut in 2007. There
are growing safety and environmental concerns as the empty former cruise
ship drifts toward the open sea off Newfoundland.
A derelict, rat-infested Russian
cruise ship continued to keep Newfoundland oil platforms on edge
Wednesday as it bobbed perilously around the storm-battered Atlantic —
and questions mounted about why a rundown tugboat was allowed to haul it
out of St. John’s harbour in the middle of winter.
The Lyubov Orlova, a 237-passenger vessel about 100 metres in length, has been adrift since its tow line snapped in rough weather last week as it was being taken to the Dominican Republic for scrap.
Transport Canada says it ordered the tugboat Charlene Hunt back to St. John’s over safety concerns and was inspecting it.
Department spokesman Steve Bone said Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Natural Resources Department and the Canada-Newfoundland & Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board were working together on the Lyubov Orlova.
As of Wednesday night, the vessel was reported to be 170 nautical
miles east of St. John’s and was being tracked by a coast guard
satellite beacon.
Offshore oil operators about 315 kilometres east of St. John’s were keeping watch as the derelict vessel floated within about 40 km of the Hibernia oilfield.
Margot Bruce-O’Connell, a spokeswoman for Hibernia Management & Development Co., says they are continuing to monitor the vessel but it’s not expected to get too close.
In an email, Mr. Bone said operators of offshore oil rigs in the area have implemented contingency plans to deal with potential collisions from floating objects, such as icebergs and vessels that have lost power. He did not elaborate on what actions those plans include.
The Lyubov Orlova was named for a beloved Russian actress best known for the 1934 comedy Jolly Fellows.
It was a popular Arctic cruise ship before Canadian authorities seized it in St. John’s in September 2010 as part of a lawsuit by Cruise North Expeditions against its Russian owners. The company was trying to recoup the cost of a trip that was cancelled because of technical problems.
The increasingly derelict, listing ship sat in the harbour for more than two years. It was bought last year by Iranian scrap merchant Hussein Humayuni for $275,000 in a federal court process in Montreal.
St. John’s Port Authority confirmed Mr. Humayuni hired the Charlene Hunt to tow his ship to a scrapyard in the Dominican Republic. He was in the capital Santo Domingo Tuesday but could not be reached.
The long journey started last Wednesday, but was halted the next day when the tug cable snapped. After efforts to reattach it failed, Transport Canada ordered the Charlene Hunt back to St. John’s Sunday.
It is not clear if it will return to try again.
Mac Mackay, a longtime ship watcher and marine blogger in Halifax, questions why the Charlene Hunt was given the job of pulling the Lyubov Orlova, especially in January’s turbulent seas.
He cites another major incident 17 months ago off Nova Scotia.
The MV Miner ran aground on Scaterie Island, near Cape Breton, on
Sept. 20, 2011, while being towed to a scrapyard in Turkey. Federal and
provincial officials continue to squabble over who should pay for the
cleanup.
“If the Lyubov Orlova does pile up on the shore, it’ll be interesting to know whose responsibility it is to clean it up,” Mr. Mackay said.
“If it sinks in the ocean … there’s bound to be some pollution. It really is a drifting accident waiting to happen.”
Jacqueline Savitz, deputy vice-president of U.S. campaigns for Oceana, called for quick action by Canada if the ship’s owner won’t step up.
Besides the risk of collision if the vessel drifts into shipping lanes, there’s significant environmental risk if it sinks, she said.
“This ship probably still contains lots of toxic chemicals, electronics, oil probably,” said Ms. Savit, whose organization is billed as the largest international group focused solely on ocean conservation.
“Those are all things we want to keep out of the ocean.”
The Lyubov Orlova, a 237-passenger vessel about 100 metres in length, has been adrift since its tow line snapped in rough weather last week as it was being taken to the Dominican Republic for scrap.
Transport Canada says it ordered the tugboat Charlene Hunt back to St. John’s over safety concerns and was inspecting it.
Department spokesman Steve Bone said Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Natural Resources Department and the Canada-Newfoundland & Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board were working together on the Lyubov Orlova.
Paul Daly / The Canadian Press The tugboat Charlene Hunt is docked in St. John's harbour on Tuesday.
Offshore oil operators about 315 kilometres east of St. John’s were keeping watch as the derelict vessel floated within about 40 km of the Hibernia oilfield.
Margot Bruce-O’Connell, a spokeswoman for Hibernia Management & Development Co., says they are continuing to monitor the vessel but it’s not expected to get too close.
In an email, Mr. Bone said operators of offshore oil rigs in the area have implemented contingency plans to deal with potential collisions from floating objects, such as icebergs and vessels that have lost power. He did not elaborate on what actions those plans include.
The Lyubov Orlova was named for a beloved Russian actress best known for the 1934 comedy Jolly Fellows.
It was a popular Arctic cruise ship before Canadian authorities seized it in St. John’s in September 2010 as part of a lawsuit by Cruise North Expeditions against its Russian owners. The company was trying to recoup the cost of a trip that was cancelled because of technical problems.
It’ll be interesting to know whose responsibility it is to clean it upThe ship’s mostly Russian crew members, who hadn’t been paid for months, were stranded in the city for six weeks. Residents offered everything from food to cigarettes to Internet access before the Russian government eventually helped fly most of them home.
The increasingly derelict, listing ship sat in the harbour for more than two years. It was bought last year by Iranian scrap merchant Hussein Humayuni for $275,000 in a federal court process in Montreal.
St. John’s Port Authority confirmed Mr. Humayuni hired the Charlene Hunt to tow his ship to a scrapyard in the Dominican Republic. He was in the capital Santo Domingo Tuesday but could not be reached.
The long journey started last Wednesday, but was halted the next day when the tug cable snapped. After efforts to reattach it failed, Transport Canada ordered the Charlene Hunt back to St. John’s Sunday.
It is not clear if it will return to try again.
Mac Mackay, a longtime ship watcher and marine blogger in Halifax, questions why the Charlene Hunt was given the job of pulling the Lyubov Orlova, especially in January’s turbulent seas.
He cites another major incident 17 months ago off Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia government / The Canadian PressThe MV Miner ran aground off Scatarie Island, a provincially designated wilderness management area, on Sept. 20., 2011.
“If the Lyubov Orlova does pile up on the shore, it’ll be interesting to know whose responsibility it is to clean it up,” Mr. Mackay said.
“If it sinks in the ocean … there’s bound to be some pollution. It really is a drifting accident waiting to happen.”
Jacqueline Savitz, deputy vice-president of U.S. campaigns for Oceana, called for quick action by Canada if the ship’s owner won’t step up.
Besides the risk of collision if the vessel drifts into shipping lanes, there’s significant environmental risk if it sinks, she said.
“This ship probably still contains lots of toxic chemicals, electronics, oil probably,” said Ms. Savit, whose organization is billed as the largest international group focused solely on ocean conservation.
“Those are all things we want to keep out of the ocean.”
Labels: Canada, Controversy, Environment, Russia
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