Rena Update #112
DATE: 25 November 2011 TIME: 10.30am
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) has been advised by insurers acting for the charterers of the Rena (Mediterranean Shipping
Company) there are a further 21 containers containing dangerous goods on board the ship. This is in addition to the 11
containers of dangerous goods already advised.
However, Director of MNZ, Catherine Taylor, said expert scientific advice received by MNZ confirmed the material
presented a low risk in its current state.
"Immediately after the grounding of the Rena on 5 October, as Director of MNZ, I requested information about all
dangerous goods on board the ship from MSC as declared by the shippers, However, for reasons still unknown, the contents
of these 21 containers were not declared as dangerous goods in the original manifest provided to MNZ and as required
under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code," Ms Taylor said.
"While experts advise that the contents of these containers are considered low risk in their current state submerged
below decks in the vessel's holds, MNZ is carrying out a thorough investigation as to why these dangerous goods were not
declared as required under maritime legislation and whether this constitutes a breach of the law."
The manifest records the product as "Cover Bath Material" and "Pure Tapped Bath Material", a by-product of the aluminium
smelting process, which is considered low risk unless ingested or inhaled directly in its dry powdered form. MSC also
advises this material is known as cryolite.
"Since learning of this new information on Tuesday (22 November), MNZ has spent the last few days working extensively
with various scientific, environmental and health experts to accurately assess the risk posed by cryolite to the marine
environment and to people," Ms Taylor said. "We have also been given a strong assurance by MSC that there are no other
potentially dangerous goods on board that have not been declared."
Twenty of the containers in question are located in hold 3, which suffered considerable damage in the grounding. The
other is in hold 5. This means they are below deck and inaccessible, under containers above deck. Of these, 17
containers are understood to be submerged, but all are likely to have been submerged at some time as the ship has moved.
There are 490 tonnes of the product is on board. It is packed in 1 tonne bulk bags inside the containers. The bags have
a polyethylene liner and are constructed of polypropylene, so are water resistant, but not water tight. Water is likely
to have seeped into the bags within the container.
"Expert advice is that the cryolite on board Rena is considered to be of low risk given that the product is only
slightly soluble in water, so is expected to dissolve slowly. Any dissolved material will be diluted and dispersed very
rapidly, reducing the potential effects further. "
While cryolite is dangerous to humans in its dry form if ingested or inhaled, it is not considered a risk in these
circumstances, because the material has been submerged and contained below decks since the Rena grounded. Ms Taylor said
salvors working on the vessel had been advised that the material was on board and were taking all necessary safety
precautions to continue their work.
"While this late notification is frustrating, it's simply another issue Rena has thrown at us that we have to get on and
deal with. It's the typical nature of salvage operations that these sorts of issues will come up, and our plans remain
flexible enough to respond to them as they occur," Ms Taylor said.
"That said, this development also justifies the safety precautions we have been taking all along and the advice that we
have been giving to the public regarding the importance of respecting the exclusion zone around Rena and not touching or
handling containers or their contents. We have trained professionals equipped and ready to deal with any hazardous
substances should they be lost from the vessel or come ashore."
ENDS