BASF Acid-Carrying Ship Capsizes on Rhine, Halting River Traffic for Today

[IScreamSundays]

Source: bloomberg

A barge carrying sulfuric acid produced by BASF SE, the world’s biggest chemical company, capsized on the Rhine River in Germany today, leading authorities to halt traffic on Europe’s busiest waterway.

Two of the vessel’s four crew are still missing and local authorities haven’t yet determined whether the 2,400 metric tons of acid on board is leaking, Germany’s Federal Shipping Administration said today in a statement on its website. The river won’t reopen to shipping today, chief inspector at the Wasserschutzpolizei said by phone from Mainz.

The cargo was being transported to BASF’s facility in Antwerp, Belgium from its plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Ursula von Stetten, a company spokeswoman, said today by phone. BASF doesn’t own the vessel, she said. The shares fell as much as 2.5 percent in Frankfurt.

"Initially the market priced in some downside for BASF but now that its been confirmed it’s not their ship, valuations have quickly recovered," said Stuart James, a senior credit analyst at Lloyds Bank in London. "If it has leaked there will undoubtedly be clean-up costs for the ship owner to pay."

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-13/ship-with-acid-cargo-capsizes-on-rhine-halting-barge-traffic-in-germany.html

[asjr]

1. Of course it was the market price that

concerned them. To heck with the people who may have been hurt as well as polluting the river.

[Nihil]

13. That's exactly what I thought about the OP extract

> Of course it was the market price that concerned them. To heck with the
> people who may have been hurt as well as polluting the river.

Bastards. Two members of the crew still missing. Cargo of sulphuric acid
in unknown state of stability. What do they worry about? The slight recovery
of BASF's price after it became known that the ship was being operated by
a third party rather than BASF directly!

:wtf:

Better still, who do they find for a quote? An environmentalist?
A spokesman from the river authorities? No ... some wankhead at a bank!

> a senior credit analyst at Lloyds Bank in London

:mad:

[Hubert Flottz]

2. IG Farben strikes again.

Bayer to lay off 250 here in WV.

[Javaman]

8. IG Farben has quite the history. nt

[SkyDaddy7]

3. At BASF we don't pollute the eniviroment...

we just make the pollutants more toxic!

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. I know that I shouldn't laugh at a possible environmental disaster,

but that is twistedly funny.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. just love their green commercials

[Javaman]

10. The question that needs to be asked is: is it the dried form of sulfuric acid?

because if that leaks into the Rhine, very bad things could happen.

However, since it is winter, the cold water of the Rhine may disapate the heat given off by the reaction.

So if it leaks slowly, that's a good thing. If it splits open and dumps the whole thing in, I will be curious as to what will happen. There maybe a quick flash over that then quickly cools down.

Dealing with large scales here, not test tubes. LOL

[BB1]

5. Oh boy, that's not good.

I live just 200 yards from the Rhine (de Rijn) in the Dutch city of Arnhem. Already the river is flooding all the surrounding area. I don't imagine an acid spill would make matters better. I hope they will have things under control very soon.

edit: found out there's been some coverage instead of non.

[JDPriestly]

9. Sorry. Having lived near the Rhine in Strasbourg long ago,

I know the importance of the Rhine to all of Western Europe. I hope all goes well for you and the people of Arnhem. I will be thinking of you.

[Javaman]

11. I think, and this is just a guess, that if it's powered sulfuric acid

and it reacts with the water. Not sure if it will. Cold water dilutes the effect. By the time it reaches you, it maybe completely diluted. Still not great for the environment, but I don't think it will cause any problems down stream.

However, the immediate area will probably have some short term effect.

[BB1]

12. I'm not too worried about myself

but it is the agricultural land that's being flooded right now. As well as some important nature reserves. Birds and plants and such, but still important.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. isn't that just lovely

:mad: :mad: :mad: