Premier says feds are partly responsible for grounded ship

Federal officials are partly to blame for the ship that is now aground on Scatarie Island, Premier Darrell Dexter says.

The Nova Scotia government has launched a court case against the owners of the tug claiming they were negligent, but Dexter said Ottawa also shoulders some of the blame.

"Permitting was all done by federal officials and, therefore, they ought to be as concerned as we are with the situation in which we find ourselves," he said Tuesday.

"I think there's no question they do share the responsibility and the sooner they are fully engaged in treating this urgently the better we'll all be off."

The MV Miner broke free while being towed last month to Turkey, and ran aground off Cape Breton.

Dexter said that so far he's received no response from federal officials.

Despite the fact that oil and oily water has been taken off the ship, he said the ship itself is a threat to local lobster fishing grounds.

"Undoubtedly, the paint used on the ship is lead based, the electrical system that was there would contain elements that if left in the water for any period of time could create a problem. So we are continuing to be concerned that the federal government treat it as a matter of urgency," Dexter said.

Meanwhile, federal officials conducted flights Tuesday over the badly damaged bulk carrier. They were looking for any signs of oil, although the coast guard says a shoreline assessment over the weekend found no evidence of oil pollution.

There have been repeated attempts to free the 230-metre retired freighter without success.

The coast guard says the remaining oily waste water has been removed from the MV Miner.

In total, officials say about 10,000 litres of marine diesel oil, lubricants and oily waste water have been recovered.

An e-mailed statement from the coast guard said the vessel remains largely intact, but there are several large openings on one side.