The risk of sinking again and the threat of pollution was too much for the Canadian Coast Guard.
They have issued a contract to remove the MV Farley Mowat from the Shelburne Marine Terminal.
The Coast Guard gave the vessel’s owner until June 12 to create a plan to address the threat of pollution.
Town of Shelburne Mayor Karen Mattatall says it has been a long time coming and hopes to see it removed in the near future.
“When I say in the near future I know it takes time to do this, but we know it’s going and we’re very excited. I don’t think it’s going to be months, I think it is going to be quite soon”
A surveyor assessed the Mowat’s condition last month and found oil-contaminated water in most of the tanks and determined that it was pollution risk.
It also sank in Shelburne Harbour in June 2015.
The Coast Guard will monitor the vessel until it is removed.
The federal government will then recover costs from the owner.
The people of the @TownShelburneNS have waited long enough. Very happy to announce today the removal of the Farley Mowat. pic.twitter.com/icwWQpg48s
— Bernadette Jordan (@BernJordanMP) June 15, 2017
The vessel has cost the Town of Shelburne roughly $200,000 in lost revenue and legal fees since it was abandoned in 2014.
