Lake Michigan diesel spill dissipates as damaged ship heads for repair
MANISTEE, MI — A sheen of diesel fuel spilled from a damaged Lake Michigan freighter has dissipated north of Manistee after a storm, says the U.S. Coast Guard.
The freighter Manitowoc, which spilled diesel fuel while leaving Manistee on Wednesday, left its two-day anchorage off Fifth Avenue Beach on Friday, Aug. 4 about 2 p.m.
The ship is headed to Muskegon for repairs.
A cause of the spill remains under investigation.
Lt. Heather Stemmerman said a two-mile sheen the Coast Guard was tracking near Onekama on Thursday was not visible from the air Friday. Shoreline teams have not seen any fuel on the beach. There have been no reports of injured wildlife.
The multi-agency unified command which has been coordinating the response remains on duty, but “I anticipate it won’t be much longer,” she said.
Company contractors were attempting to soak up the spilled fuel using sorbent boom but stopped Thursday after a storm rolled through northern Michigan.
“That also probably helped break up the sheen that was remaining,” Stemmerman said.
Marine diesel is denser and more oily than other refined petroleum-based fuels but does dissipate and evaporate when spilled on water. It can spread quickly in the wind.
The Coast Guard has not provided an official estimate on the total amount of dyed-red marine diesel fuel which leaked from the Manitowoc’s starboard tank on Wednesday.
The agency confirmed Thursday that the Manitowoc estimated it lost about 1,000 gallons out of a “maximum spill potential” of 45,174 gallons in tank capacity.
The actual spill volume is much lower, said Stemmerman. Specific estimates will be taken when the vessel docks.
Some news outlets have erroneously reported the ship spilled 45,000 gallons or more.
The spill was reported about 2:50 p.m. Wednesday. The Manitowoc was exiting the Manistee River channel after unloading coal in Filer City when the crew noticed the fuel gauges were increasing because the ship was taking on water.
The hull breach was plugged and the leak stopped Wednesday. The American Bureau of Shipping and the Coast Guard will oversee repairs in Muskegon.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, the District Health Department No. 10 had yet to rescind a skin contact advisory with Lake Michigan in Manistee County which had prompted closure of Fifth Avenue Beach.
The public should call (231) 723-6241 to report any diesel on the shoreline.
Cause of SS Badger’s apron issue still unknown
The long work to repair the apron for the SS Badger continues, but exactly what the cause of the counterweight collapse continues to be investigated, according to Chrissy Kadleck, director of communications and employee engagement for Interlake Maritime Services, the parent company to Lake Michigan Carferry and the Badger.
The steamship’s apron was damaged on July 21 when the counterweight structure on the port side of the ship was damaged. Contractors began working on repairs last week, which included underwater divers, marine construction contractors and an engineering firm. The damage, though, was so extensive that the company announced on Tuesday that the 2023 sailing season would come to a premature ending. It was originally scheduled to conclude Oct. 9. The ship also nearing the end of its overnight sailings, with those scheduled to conclude Sunday. Four shoreline cruises were also affected — two from Ludington and two from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the connecting port for the ship.
The apron system is inspected fairly often, Kadleck said.
“The system is inspected from time to time and was visually inspected just a few weeks earlier and found to be in apparent good condition,” she said.
The company does not know the estimated cost of the repairs of the apron system, but it will take several months to complete, Kadleck said.
“We are hopeful that all of the work can be completed in 2023, and we do not anticipate any impact on the 2024 sailing season,” she said.
Residents in Ludington might not see the SS Badger, its sister ship the SS Spartan or the former U.S. Army tug LT-805 move to accommodate the reconstruction of the apron, Kadleck said.
“We expect that repairs on the south side of the ramp can be made without moving the Badger or any of the other vessels,” she said. “We most likely not move the Badger to make repairs because the apron is being supported by the back of the ship. Should the structure on the north side of the ramp require work, the Badger may need to be moved.”
Kadleck would not comment on the number of passengers or commercial traffic that was scheduled to use the SS Badger for the remainder of the sailing season, nor the estimated cost to the company because of the refunds issued.
“As the remainder of the season has been canceled, commercial traffic will be impacted as it will have to find an alternate route to the other side of the lake,” she said. “All reservations will be fully refunded.”
Interlake is working to find positions for the seasonal help with the SS Badger elsewhere within the company, Kadleck said.
