The mayor of Beauharnois is worried a derelict cargo ship anchored off his town's shore could pose an environmental problem.
Mayor Claude Haineault said he is concerned the Kathryn Spirit ship could sink, spilling toxic material into Montreal's drinking water supply.
Anchored for the last four years off Beauharnois on the southern shore of Lac St. Louis, the 120-metre long ship is slowly being scrapped.
The town took steps four years ago to force the demolition to stop because of the environmental concerns. Instead, the ship was supposed to be towed to a dry dock elsewhere to continue the work. That never happened.
“The company hired to make sure the Kathryn Spirit remain afloat left the site because the Mexican owners declared bankruptcy and stopped paying them,” said Haineault.
Without someone assuring the integrity of the ship, Haineault is worried the ship could begin to tilt, as it did about a year ago, and may sink.
That could lead to rust, oil and grease polluting the water, he believes.
“Transport Canada, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, everyone has passed the buck,” he said, adding that Quebec has no jurisdiction over the ship.
“Lac St. Louis is where Montreal gets its drinking water from,” said Haineault.
The ship is also anchored upstream from bird sanctuaries.
Haineault has asked for a meeting with the new federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau.
Had Ottawa acted earlier, it might have been able to work with the owners, said Haineault, adding that taxpayers will now be the ones footing the bill.
