The ''MCP Altona'' is a 629 TEU container vessel built by Shandong Huangai Shipbuilding Co in 2007.
On December 23, 2010, while en route from the
Port of Vancouver
The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada and the fourth largest in North America by tonnes of cargo, facilitating trade between Canada and more than 170 world economies. The port is managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, whic ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, to
Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang; Leizhou Min: ''Tchiàm-kōng''; previously Tsamkong or Guangzhouwan, then romanized in English as Kwangchowan or Kwangchow Wan. is a port city on the southwestern panhandle of Guangdong province in South China. The prefecture- ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, the ship ran into rough weather between
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
and
Midway Islands
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an unorganized and unincorporated territory. The largest island is Sand Island, which has housi ...
, causing some containers of
uranium concentrate
Triuranium octoxide (U3O8) is a compound of uranium. It is present as an olive green to black, odorless solid. It is one of the more popular forms of yellowcake and is shipped between mills and refineries in this form.
U3O8 has potential long-term ...
to open. On January 3, when
Cameco
Cameco Corporation (formerly Canadian Mining and Energy Corporation) is the world's largest publicly traded uranium company, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2015, it was the world's second largest uranium producer, accounting for 18 ...
became aware of the spill, it ordered the ship to return to Canada; the ship docked off
Ladysmith, where the spill was inspected by Cameco,
Transport Canada
Transport Canada () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...
, and
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC; ) is the federal regulator of nuclear power and materials in Canada.
Mandate and history
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission was established under the 1997 '' Nuclear Safety and Control Act'' with a ma ...
. On January 20, the ship docked back in Vancouver to refuel and restock supplies. The ship had 24 sea containers, each containing up to 35 drums, for a total of 840 drums or 350,000 kg of uranium concentrate,
on board.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Meratus Palembang, IMO: 9371921, Call Sign: POGI.ShippingExplorer. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
2007 ships
Cargo ships of Liberia