- No mandate to investigate: SLPA
- Ship carried hazardous materials, not waste: Diplomatic sources
Further information regarding the goods supposed to be unloaded at Colombo Port by the controversial ship Dali is currently being gathered by the Merchant Shipping Secretariat and other relevant shipping companies, according to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
The ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US while en route to Colombo last month.
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, SLPA Additional Managing Director (Operations) D.L.R. Weerasinghe stated that the SLPA had no mandate to conduct any investigation because the cargo belonged to the ship.
However, he clarified that action could be taken only if there had been a violation of Sri Lankan regulations.
Nevertheless, he added that the secretariat and shipping companies were still gathering information on the matter.
According to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Singaporean cargo ship Dali, chartered by Maersk, which caused the collapse of the Baltimore bridge on 26 March, was transporting 764 tonnes of hazardous materials to Sri Lanka.
It is stated that these hazardous materials mainly consisted of corrosives, flammables, miscellaneous hazardous materials, and Class 9 hazardous materials, which include explosives and lithium-ion batteries.
This information was disclosed as soon as the ship met with the accident as the NTSB continues to analyse the ship’s manifest to ascertain the contents of its 4,644 other containers.
Meanwhile, according to a communication from a diplomatic source, the MV Dali was found not to be transporting hazardous waste but instead had hazardous materials aboard for shipping purposes.
It was emphasised that these materials did not present a threat to the environment or public safety at this time.
Notably, hazardous materials encompass items ranging from the most dangerous to common household products like bleach or batteries, with the most dangerous materials classified as Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC) under US federal law, as detailed in the communication.
Additionally, it was revealed that the ship carried approximately 4,700 containers in total, with 56 containing some form of hazardous materials. Thirteen of these hazardous materials containers seemed to have sustained damage.
Despite this, technical analysis and air monitoring conducted by the US Coast Guard’s Atlantic Strike Team have determined that there was no discernible threat to public health or the environment from these containers.
The communication highlighted ongoing air monitoring efforts by the Atlantic Strike Team to ensure the safety of responders, the public, and the environment, reassuring that there are currently no public health concerns stemming from the situation.
Addressing the media last week, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva clarified that Maersk had informed him that only one container was intended to be offloaded from the ship Dali.
Before the incident in Baltimore, the Dali made port calls at Norfolk in New York and Virginia, the latter being home to the world’s largest naval base. Colombo was slated to be its subsequent scheduled stop, following a route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, with an estimated voyage duration of 27 days, set to arrive shortly after our New Year celebrations.
According to reports, SLPA Chairman Keith Bernard stated that the ship was required to declare the contents of containers only 72 hours before its arrival at the Colombo Port. Bernard has stated that the ship was anticipated to reach the port on 21 April, implying that they should provide notification around 17 April.