Barge crash in St Lawrence

[j-valve]

Just found this... Maybe I'll stay out of the water for a few days!

Barge Accident on St. Lawrence Seaway
Greg Hebert
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is closed between Kingston and Brockville after a shipping accident dumped thousands of gallons of liquid calcium chloride into the water.

Officials are blaming a steering problem, which caused a barge in tow to run aground in the American Narrows near Alexandria Bay, New York.

Carol Fenton is a spokesperson for the Seaway Development Corporation. She says it remains unclear how long the shipping lane will be closed. However, Fenton says the chemical compound does not pose a risk to nearby residents or local wildlife.

About 12-thousand gallons of the calcium chloride leaked into the water. It is used to make winter road salt.

 

[bottom_sucker]

Just means if you're diving in that area, you'll have to add a few pounds of weight to compensate for salt water.

Dave

 

[JJ1]

Wonder if we'll get some funky lookin fish now

 

[d33ps1x]

http://www.dow.com/calcium/tech/faq.htm

Q. Is calcium chloride harmful to the environment?
A. Calcium chloride is generally safe when used as directed.

Pretty sure dumping that much in a river is not in the directions.

Typical Dow Chemical responses.

Q/ Is it dangerous?
A/ Umm...Define dangerous...cough.

Where is the link to this article? Can't find mention of it anywhere.

 

[Warren_L]

If it is just calcium chloride, I wouldn't think it would be harmful given. If it was just that.

 

[d33ps1x]

If it is just calcium chloride, I wouldn't think it would be harmful given. If it was just that.

Why is that?

 

[Warren_L]

It would just be salt that would get diluted away.

 

[artw]

barge in tow to run aground

barge ran aground? what? did it sink? how deep?

 

[d33ps1x]

It would just be salt that would get diluted away.

I guess the algae due to increaded nitrogen in the water is no big deal? From fertalizers that will magically get diluted?

I apologize then. Didn't mean to raise a fuss. If I had of known everything just disappears into the lakes and rivers I'd have stopped taking car batteries back to Canuck Tire years ago.

Ever try finding an Atlantic Salmon around here these days? I guess they just got diluted too...

 

[Warren_L]

I guess the algae blooms due to increaded nitrogen in the water is no big deal? From fertalizers that will magically get diluted?

Ever try finding an Atlantic Salmon around here these days? I guess they just got diluted too...

CaCl would not increase the nitrogen in the water. The biological impact of Ca and Cl would be different than nitrogen fertilizer. This is also presuming that this sort of spill is not a regular event, the impact would likely not be significant compared to the continual leaching of nitrogen fertilizers into the water.