Tar balls have started appearing on beaches along Canada’s east coast, near the site where the container ship MSC Baltic III has remained grounded for over two months. Despite these findings, the Canadian Coast Guard reports no evidence of continuous pollution from the vessel.
The ship lost power during a storm on February 15, near the entrance to the Bay of Islands. After sending out a distress call, the 22-year-old container vessel ran aground in Wild Cove, west of Lark Harbour.
The hull sustained damage, and salvage experts have determined that refloating the MSC Baltic III is not feasible. An estimated 1,600 metric tons of hydrocarbons, including heavy fuel oil and lubricants, remain onboard and need to be safely removed.
Monitoring and containment efforts are ongoing as authorities work to prevent any potential environmental threats from the stranded vessel.
