MV Miner work delayed after 30 tonnes of asbestos found

The cleanup of the bulk carrier MV Miner may take longer than expected after contractors at the site found five times more asbestos than they were expecting.

The province knew there was asbestos on the ship. It was told there was an estimated six tonnes of the toxic substance.

Nova Scotia's Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan says, so far, the salvage company has found fives times that amount.

"So far RJM has removed 30 tonnes of asbestos," says MacLellan.

The finding has slowed the removal process.

Likely to further slow the process is the discovery of diesel fuel, which the province had been assured was not an issue.

"There is diesel now on the vessel and it seems like there's a significant amount," says MacLellan.

He says the fuel and the extra asbestos will no doubt drive up the cost of the ship's removal.

How much more than $12-million earmarked for the project, he can't say yet. But MacLellan says he'll once again be knocking on Ottawa's door for help.

Alfie MacLeod, the Progressive Conservative MLA for the area, says it's only fair the federal government helps with the cost.

"We've seen that with the sea wall in Gaberus where all three levels of government worked together. And if that's what we need to do now, I certainly have no problem approaching the federal government to work towards that," he says

MacLeod says the weather is likely to delay things as well.

"What we need to know now is what’s the next part of the plan, where do we go from here? If there is more fuel and they don’t know exactly where it is, what’s the plan? As you’re probably aware, the weather right now is pretty nasty," says MacLeod.

"I know of a boat that was tied up in Louisbourg on the weekend and a couple of lines snapped because the wind was that high. So I’d be concerned with how do we approach the fuel issue and make sure that it doesn’t contaminate the waters for our very lucrative fishery."

With winter coming, the wind and waves have picked up considerably making a tough job even tougher.

The job was supposed to be done by the end of the month.

The MV Miner broke its line and ran aground on Scatarie Island in September 2011 while being towed from Montreal to Turkey, where it was to be scrapped. The ocean and rocky coast have shredded the steel hull.