Canada announced October 10th the award of a $4.9 million contract to Resolve Marine to remove oil from historic shipwreck USAT Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski, which sunk in Grenville Channel (northern British Columbia).
The M.G. Zalinski struck a rock near Pitt Island in 1946, while transporting army supplies and heavy fuel oil from Seattle, Washington, to Whittier, Alaska, as part of the war effort. Over the years, the Canadian Coast Guard has monitored the vessel and in 2013, removed all of the bulk oil that was accessible at that time. Since then, the ship’s structure has continued to deteriorate, causing previously inaccessible fuel tanks to collapse. This new state of deterioration poses a significant risk of releasing a large amount of oil into the marine environment.
While the current amount of fuel upwelling from the shipwreck is minimal, the Canadian Coast Guard is taking action now to prevent long-term damage to areas of significant cultural value and to the marine environment.
Resolve Marine will use a process called “hot tapping” to reduce the volume of fuel in the tanks. First, drainage valves are attached to the hull, then a hose will be connected to the valves and the fuel will be pumped out into holding tanks on a barge. The hot-tap method has been used successfully on shipwrecks for many years, including during the Canadian Coast Guard’s successful response to the historic Nootka Sound shipwreck, the MV Schiedyk, in 2021. Given the nature of the operation, there is a small risk of a release of oil while draining. Canadian Coast Guard personnel are on-site and ready to respond if needed.
Work is scheduled to begin in mid October and is expected to take several weeks.