Broken ship poses a new challenge

The beached New Carissa is crumbling and was found to contain at least 130,000 gallons of tarlike fuel oil, officials disclosed Tuesday, raising the environmental stakes on a plan to sink the vessel in international waters. A new fracture in the hull of the grounded cargo ship New Carissa, still holding 130,000 gallons of fuel oil, heightened the sense of urgency for crews preparing to pump fuel oil from the broken bow section into tanks on shore before resuming efforts to tow the hulk to sea and sink it. Only half of the 400,000 gallons of oil on board burned away. Up to 70,000 gallons have spilled.

The smaller, 220-foot stern section of the ship is mired in deep sand and can't be refloated. Efforts to haul it ashore and remove will start later. The section of ship is not believed to contain any fuel. More information, graphic images and latest updates of the ship can be found at The Oregon
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