MV Miner removal dealing with asbestos on wrecked ship

Nova Scotia Land met with a contractor to discuss work safety and hazardous waste on the MV Miner as plans to move the wrecked ship are put into action.

It ran aground on Scatarie Island in Cape Breton, N.S., three years ago. The environmental, transportation and health and safety permits are all in place.

Nova Scotia Land, the Crown corporation overseeing the $12 million project, said it’s a potentially dangerous job.

“The main material that has to be removed is the asbestos. There’s asbestos wrap on a lot of the plumbing that's in the vessel and that has to be removed,” said Chief Operating Officer Joel MacLean.

The MV Miner was being towed to Turkey when it broke its line near Nova Scotia. The ocean and rocky coast have shredded the steel hull.

Crews will build a base camp on the island and set up an access road from the shore to the ship. Some 40 people will work a four-day rotation to do the job.

“The Miner will be broken down from the top down to maintain the stability as they go down towards the water,” MacLean said. “The access road will give them access to use heavy equipment. The equipment will be large excavators with long reach arms and shears on the end of them.”

The steel will be loaded onto a barge and sold for scrap.

Antigonish-based R J MacIsaac Construction has until November to remove the wreck.