Weather? HA! The Work Goes On!

Work is under way today to refloat the Walter J. McCarthy Jr. by pumping water out of the laker’s ballast tanks.

The 1,000-foot-long laker’s engine room flooded Monday after a submerged object punctured the McCarthy’s hull as the ship was backing into a slip at Superior’s Hallett No. 8 Dock about 11:30 a.m. The McCarthy’s crew closed the engine room’s watertight doors and evacuated the room as the ship’s stern settled to the bottom in 20 feet of water.

“Calculations support that the vessel will float regardless of the flooded engine room if de-ballasting occurs,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release. “To do so, the vessel will utilize shore power to operate internal and external pumps. Engineers involved in the salvage believe it will take two to three days to complete the de-ballasting.”

Work to empty the ship’s ballast tanks began Tuesday evening. The tanks hold lake water to help stabilize the ship when it is empty or lightly loaded.

Once the ship is refloated, divers will be able to determine the extent of the damage to the McCarthy’s hall. After the ship’s hull is patched, the water in the engine room will be pumped to trucks for proper treatment and disposal.

The water fills the engine room to a depth of 20 feet, covering the ship’s four 3,500-horsepower General Motors Electro Motive Division diesel engines. Response personnel estimate that approximately 450 gallons of miscellaneous oils have been removed from the flooded engine room, the Coast Guard said. There are an additional 2,500 to 3,000 gallons of oil and fuel in adjacent tanks, engines and generators, but there is no threat of those liquids escaping, the Coast Guard said.

Once the engine room is pumped dry, officials will be able to determine if the ship can be repaired where it is or whether it will have to enter dry dock.

Workers may rebuild the ship’s engines where it sits now, said Rhonda S. Johnson, spokeswoman for GATX, the parent company of the McCarthy’s owner, the American Steamship Co.

The McCarthy is 1,000 feet long, 105 feet wide and has a dead weight capacity of 62,100 gross tons at a draft of 27.5 feet. The ship transports western coal from Superior to Detroit Edison’s St. Clair and Monroe, Mich., power plants. Built as the Belle River by the Bay Shipbuilding Corp. at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., the ship entered service in 1977. It was renamed the McCarthy in 1990 to honor the former chairman of the Detroit Edison Company.

UPDATE ON THE ICE PRINCE

Here are two recent videos regarding the Ice Prince a cargo ship loaded with more than 300 tonnes of oil which sank in the Channel 26 miles south-east of Portland Bill, spilling its load of timber.

Environmentalists are concerned that coastline and marine life could be harmed if storms breach the hull of the Ice Prince. There were also worries that if its cargo of wood washes up in southern England there could be a repeat of the chaotic scenes a year ago when scavengers descended on the Devon coast after the MSC Napoli shed about 50 containers.

UK. Receiver of Wreck warns against stealing MV Ice Prince cargo

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

At a meeting this morning convened by the Secretary's of State Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) Hugh Shaw, various options were discussed on minimising the impact of the loss of cargo or oil from the sunken `Ice Prince.

Representatives from the Environment Group, Police, local authorities and the owners and salvors also attended the meeting.

A guard vessel, the Klyne tug, "Anglian Earl" will remain on scene until Trinity House have completed their survey of the wreck site. This is to ensure that the wreck does not pose any hazard to navigation.

The salvors are currently working on a plan to decide how best to recover the oil and pollutants that are currently contained within tanks on the vessel to minimise the risk of environmental impact.

There have been reports of a light sheen of oil on the surface at the wreck site, but this is being broken up by wave energy and natural sea movement.

The timber cargo that broke free from the vessel when she sank is estimated to be 2,000 tons of untreated sawn timber of differing sizes. Already some of the packages have broken up into individual pieces.

Discussions are taking place with the owners to appoint a contractor to be responsible for the collection of the cargo.

The MCA anticipate the cargo of timber will reach land between the Dorset/Hampshire border and East Sussex.

Police forces along the south coast are working closely with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Receiver of Wreck.

Police Forces have been authorised by the Receiver of Wreck to act on her behalf. People failing to comply with their directions would be committing an offence for which they may, on conviction, be fined up to £2,500 - and may be arrested.

Under Sections 236 and 237 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995: an offence would be committed: where a vessel is wrecked ... any person (who) conceals or keeps possession of any such cargo or refuses to deliver any such cargo or article to the receiver...'

It is also an offence of failing to report the wreck to the receiver.

Under current control measures that are in place any birds or wildlife found dead should be reported immediately to the RSPCA on their emergency number 03001234 999 who will respond appropriately.

WEATHER STORY

NWS Chicago (Lot) has posted its Skywarn Spotter training schedule...

Severe Weather Spotter Talk Schedule
Below is a listing of upcoming severe weather spotter talks...
Click here to see the Spotter Training FAQ page

February, 2008 - Upcoming
Day	City, State	Time	Location
11	Naperville, IL (DuPage County)	7:00pm CST	City Hall, Council Chambers, 400 S. Eagle.
	Contact Information: 630-742-3782
13	Evergreen Park, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Fire Dept., 9000 S. Kedzie Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
20	Kankakee, IL (Kankakee County)	7:00pm CST	Kankakee Community College, Auditorium
	Contact Information: 815-802-7174
25	Minooka, IL (Grundy County)	6:30pm CST	Fire Station 1, 413 W. Mondamin St.
	Contact Information: 815-941-3200
26	Sandwich, IL (DeKalb County)	7:00pm CST	TBA
27	Plainfield, IL (Will County)	7:00pm CST	Police Dept., 14300 S. Coil Plus Dr.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
March, 2008 - Upcoming
Day	City, State	Time	Location
03	Evanston, IL (Cook County)	2:00pm CST	Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
03	Evanston, IL (Cook County)	6:00pm CST	Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
06	Dixon, IL (Lee County)	7:00pm CST	Public Safety Building, 220 S. Hennepin Ave.
	Contact Information: 815-284-3365
10	Ottawa, IL (La Salle County)	7:00pm CST	Ottawa High School, Room 420, 211 E. Main St.
	Contact Information: 815-433-5622
11	Oglesby, IL (La Salle County)	7:00pm CST	Illinois Valley Community College, Room 316
	Contact Information: 815-433-5622
12	Melrose Park, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Senior Center, 900 N. 25th Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
13	Warrenville, IL (DuPage County)	7:00pm CST	City Hall, 28W701 Stafford Place
	Contact Information: 630-682-7925
15	Wheaton, IL (DuPage County)	8:00am CST	Wheaton College, Coray Gym ***There is a fee. Must Register in Advance***
	Contact Information: 630-682-7925
17	Aurora, IL (Kane County)	10:00am CST	City Council Chambers, 44 East Downer Pl.
	Contact Information: 630-801-6512
17	Aurora, IL (Kane County)	7:00pm CST	City Council Chambers, 44 E. Downer Pl
	Contact Information: 630-801-6512
18	Lockport, IL (Will County)	7:00pm CST	Lockport Central High School, Auditorium, 1222 S. Jefferson St.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
19	Joliet, IL (Will County)	10:00am CST	County Building, 2nd Floor Board Room, 302 N. Chicago St.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
19	Wilmington, IL (Will County)	7:00pm CST	City Hall, 1165 S. Water St.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
20	Pontiac, IL (Livingston County)	7:00pm CST	Public Safety Building, 413 N. Mill St.
	Contact Information: 815-844-7171
22	Rockford, IL (Winnebago County)	8:30am CST	Chicago-Rockford Int'l Airport, Public Safety Building
	Contact Information: 815-987-5990
24	Clarendon Hills, IL (DuPage County)	7:30pm CST	Church of Holy Nativity, 55th and Richmond.
	Contact Information: DuPage Radio Club www.w9dup.org
26	Lyons, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Lyons EOC, 7801 Ogden Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
27	Crystal Lake, IL (McHenry County)	7:00pm CST	McHenry Community College, Auditorium
	Contact Information: 815-338-6400
31	Tinley Park, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Admin Building, Kallsen Conference Room, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
April, 2008 - Upcoming
Day	City, State	Time	Location
02	Matteson, IL (Cook County)	10:00am CST	Matteson Village Hall, 4900 Village Commons
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
03	Crown Point, IN (Lake County)	7:00pm CST	Civic Center, 101 East St.
	Contact Information: 219-755-3549
09	Arlington Heights, IL (Cook County)	9:30am CST	Public Works Dept., L.A. Hansen Building, 222 N. Ridge Rd.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
09	Arlington Heights, IL (Cook County)	1:30pm CST	Public Works Dept., L.A. Hansen Building, 222 N. Ridge Rd.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180

RS