Coast Guard working to free grounded tanker

[unhappycamper]

Coast Guard working to free grounded tanker
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Feb 21, 2009 15:20:21 EST

GALVESTON, Texas — An oil tanker remained grounded Saturday off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico, but no fuel had spilled from it, officials said.

The Coast Guard, other federal and state agencies and a salvage company have been planning a strategy for freeing the 800-foot vessel, the Yasa Golden Dardanelles. It’s carrying 620,000 barrels of low sulfur fuel oil, Coast Guard spokeswoman Renee Aiello said.

A Coast Guard helicopter flew over the ship and saw no evidence of pollution, Aiello said.

The tanker was built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. in Japan and delivered last spring to Yasa Tanker and Transportation S.A. of Istanbul, Turkey, according to a news release issued by Mitsui at the time. It flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands.

A woman who answered the phone at the Turkish company Saturday said nobody was available to discuss the matter.


Rest of article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_coastguard_grounded_tanker_022109/%2e