Oil spill from cracked containership reaches shore

Heavy fuel oil leaking from the TS Taipei, which ran aground March 10 and split in two late last week, has contaminated approximately 1.24 miles of coastline in northern Taiwan, according to local media reports.    Heavy fuel oil leaking from a grounded containership that split in two late last week has contaminated approximately 1.24 miles of coastline in northern Taiwan, according to local media reports.
   The TS Taipei, which ran aground March 10 after losing propulsion in a storm that pushed the ship into a rocky shallow near Keelung, Taiwan, has a massive crack in its hull that has caused fuel to spill out of the vessel and put it at risk of sinking entirely.
   The Taiwan Coast Guard was able to rescue all 21 of the crew on board the ship at the time of the incident, but a Taiwan National Airborne Service Corps helicopter crashed during post-rescue efforts, leaving two men dead and one in critical condition. The helicopter had been dropping members of the country’s Environmental Protection Agency on to the grounded containership in order to investigate any potential environmental danger resulting from the incident.
   According to Taiwan’s EPA, which warned the ship is in immediate danger of capsizing, around 240 tons fuel oil, 35 tons of lube oil, and 30 tons of waste and other contaminants remains on board the ship. The majority of the 617 cargo containers the ship had been carrying, some of which are reported to contain hazardous materials, also remain on board though some have fallen off in the weeks since it ran aground.
   As a result of the oil spill, officials have closed nearby fishing grounds and warned residents and visitors to stay off the beach and out of the contaminated water. Cleanup and salvage operations have been hampered by heavy weather over the last week, but EPA officials say oil containment efforts continue around the clock.
   Built in 2006, the TS Taipei is operated by Hong Kong-based TS Lines and has a capacity of 1,578 TEUs, according to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting.