The Great Barrier Reef was already under tremendous stress. This won’t help.
The Shen Neng 1, hauling more than 65,000 tons of coal, hit the reef at full speed late Saturday in a restricted zone of the marine park. The impact ruptured the vessel’s fuel tanks, prompting Australian officials to activate a national oil spill response plan.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will be conducting a full investigation into the incident. The carrier was aground on a shoal and is not expected to be moved without salvage assistance.
Authorities said they were trying to assess the scope of a salvage project late Sunday.
Capricorn Conservation Council, a national environmental group, said in a release that it was “horrified that a Chinese coal carrier has run aground near Great Keppel Island.”
The ship may break into pieces and it is carrying (and leaking) 300,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil.
