Stormy weather holds up removal of MV Miner

The company tasked with removing a ship that ran aground off Cape Breton a year ago says pre-demolition work is expected to begin Thursday.

Abe Shah, a senior partner with the Bennington Group, said work on the MV Miner has been delayed for the past few days because of stormy weather in the area of Scatarie Island.

Shah said weather permitting, a crew will begin mapping out the pattern for the demolition of the 230-metre bulk carrier.

He said the heavy cutting work is expected to begin within a week.

The New York-based salvage company submitted a revised plan to the province that would see the vessel cut into bigger pieces than originally planned in order to expedite its removal during the Atlantic hurricane season.

The provincial government recently extended the company's permit until Dec. 1 to remove the derelict ship, which ran aground last September while being towed to a scrapyard in Turkey.