Sunken propeller suspected in holing of tanker

Sunken propeller suspected in holing of tanker A 14-foot propeller missing since it was dropped from an Army Corps of Engineers dredge boat last April may have been hit by the tanker 'Athos I' on the Delaware River Nov. 26, the South Jersey News has reported.
   The Cyprus-registered, Greek-owned tanker leaked enough oil to foul 70 miles of shoreline on both sides of the river after its hull had been ripped and punctured in two places.
   The U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement it still doesn't know how many thousands of gallons poured from the tanker while it approached at CITGO asphalt refinery in West Deptford, N.J. Estimates range from 30,000 to 473,500 gallons.
   Last Thursday, PSEG Nuclear decided to take both its units at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station off line, citing the spill's potential to reach water intake ducts at the nuclear plant.
   The owner of the tanker, Tsakos Shipping and Trading SA, said in a statement it would complete the cleanup and pay its costs even if the propeller were found to have holed the ship. 'After that, we'll let the insurance companies fight it out,' a Tsakos spokesman said.