Emergency response tugs deployed to escort cargo vessel to Port Angeles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 10, 2011, 9:50 p.m.
Contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology media relations; 360-701-7401

OLYMPIA – The Department of Ecology is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to escort a cargo vessel from Astoria to Port Angeles after it briefly lost propulsion Thursday evening as it was crossing the Columbia River bar. The M/V Edfu has since regained power and is heading west before it turns north up the Washington Coast.

The Coast Guard directed the tug boat Triton out of Astoria to provide the initial escort. The Triton is expected to meet the M/V Edfu about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. The privately-funded tug out of Neah Bay, as well as two additional tugs from Puget Sound, have also been dispatched to assist with the escort.

The Coast Guard is reporting that the M/V Edfu lost propulsion due to a main engine failure and is missing both required anchors. Ecology will continue to work with the Coast Guard to monitor the ship. The Edfu was built in 1997 and is sailing under the flag of Egypt.

More information about the incident will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Ecology and the Coast Guard also responded last month when the Edfu lost propulsion near the mouth of the Columbia River on Oct. 11. In that incident, the ship was able to anchor and maintain its position. It was able to regain power and was escorted across the Columbia River bar to the Port of Astoria on Oct. 13.

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Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

Ecology response to Edfu incident Oct. 11-13 (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/MVEdfu/MVEdfu.html)

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