Sunken state

A barge and tugboat were involved in an accident on the Churchill River near Gull Island on Nov. 15. The barge, which was used to hold equipment including drilling rigs, was on the river for a summer soil-testing project.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro commissioned the project, and contracted it to SNC-Lavalin, who in turn sub-contracted it to Pennecon Ltd. The project had been completed and the barge was being prepared to move ashore for disassembly.

According to Ed Martin, President and CEO of NL Hydro, an anchor holding the barge in place slipped causing the barge to drift and tip on one end because of the new anchor location. The lower end was lashed to a tugboat, and the tug became submerged. No one was on the tug at the time; there were three people on the barge but no injuries were reported.

While the barge was being re-stabilized, the tug let go of the barge and floated downriver.

The tug "came up on what looks like some large rocks and it's still there, submerged with the water flowing over it up against some rocks. You can just barely see it," Martin told the Labradorian.

Recovery of the tugboat remains uncertain at this point, he says.

"It's going to be quite difficult to recover because the water levels are up. It's very fast running water and we have to weigh out the safety of the people on site...is it safer to leave it and not recover, or is it safe enough that we can go out and try to recover it? We haven't made that determination yet."

As for possible environmental damage, the jury is still out.

"The tug is submerged and we haven't been able to assess it," Martin told The Labradorian last Thursday morning. "The risk there, if there is any, is that there's approx. 150 litres of diesel fuel on the tug, which would be about half a barrel, or about two tanks of gas in a car or truck. We have people who have been going back and forth to the site in helicopters checking to see if there are any sheens or evidence that could indicate there could be leakage. They haven't seen anything, but I haven't been able to confirm whether or not that's the case yet."

Pennecon has flown a marine surveyor to the location, and another tug has been brought in from Newfoundland to be used in winching the barge to shore.

"It's going to take some time because they're going very slow, very carefully," Martin further explained.

La Pennecon had successfully pulled the barge out of the water last Thursday.

reporter@thelabradorian.ca