London, Thursday, 05 January 2023
At the Port of Milwaukee on Monday, an ATB tug partially sank, triggering a pollution-control response.
The tug Michigan had partially sunk at its moorings, the National Response Center, which is in charge of organising operations to respond to an oil spill, informed the Coast Guard at around 11:30 in the morning.
The Coast Guard reports that although the ship has up to 40,000 gallons of diesel on board, no pollution has been seen. As a precaution, booms and sorbent material have been set up.
The Michigan appears to be still in the notch and connected to its oil barge, the Great Lakes, in photos taken at the scene. The bow and superstructure of the tug are still visible above the water, but its stern is underneath. There have been no documented effects or damages to the barge.
Capt. Seth Parker, Commander of Sector Lake Michigan, stated that the Coast Guard's current priorities are protecting the marine environment and any potential effects on waterways.
Originally named Amoco Michigan, Michigan was constructed by Bay Shipbuilding in 1982 as a typical twin-screw tugboat. In order to link with the barge Great Lakes to form a tug-barge pair, she underwent retrofitting with the Articouple ATB coupling system in 2015. She is currently a working member of the Andrie Transportation Group's fleet in Muskegon.
To continue the response, the ship-owner, U.S. Venture, has a contract with a salvor.
(Source: Urban Milwaukee// Edited by: The Decision Maker – Maritime editors)