The Canadian Coast Guard has announced that another large hazardous ship has been removed and is no longer a threat to the marine environment, according to the Government of Canada's release.
The F/V Hydra Mariner was a 38 metre steel fishing vessel which went aground in Wrights Cove near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia during adverse weather conditions in January 2021. The vessel was assessed and considered a pollution risk to the environment.
Prior to removal operations, a contractor swept the work site for unexploded ordinance left over from the 1945 Bedford Magazine explosion. Once the site was deemed safe, another contractor removed all recoverable pollutants from the vessel, prepared the site for operations and began dismantling the vessel on site.
Marine Recycling Corporation was awarded the contract to dismantle and remove the F/V Hydra Mariner following a competitive bid process. The dismantled vessel was taken to the company’s recycling facility in Sydney, Nova Scotia for proper disposal.
During adverse weather conditions on January 16-17, 2021, the F/V Hydra Mariner broke free of its mooring and ran aground on the eastern side of Navy Island in Wrights Cove near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
In May 2022, the Canadian Coast Guard issued a Request for Proposals seeking contractors able to safely eliminate the threat of pollution posed by the F/V Hydra Mariner. That process closed on May 30, 2022.
Following a fair and competitive bid process, a contract was awarded to Marine Recycling Corporation of Nova Scotia for the safe dismantling and removal of the F/V Hydra Mariner from Wrights Cove. Marine Recycling Corporation is a marine company that specializes in ship recycling. The contract is valued at $1,737,100.00 million.
The Canadian Coast Guard is the lead agency responding to ship source pollution and threats of pollution in Canadian waters.
Canada follows the “polluter pays” principle. This means the polluter is responsible for the costs of the damage caused by their pollution.