ALL media enquiries:
0800 774 554
(0800 SPILL INFO)
International media call:
+64 4 499 7318
Updated 3.30pm 3 April 2011
Break up of Rena and subsequent loss of containers on 8 January 2012
View container and cargo images on our incident gallery
Braemar Howells, a UK-based specialist company is working for the insurers on the recovery of containers and container wreckage/contents, assisted by local contractors. This work includes recovery at sea, removal from the shore, securing, transportation and decontamination, unloading, storage and processing of the contents as appropriate.
Once ashore, container cargo is visually assessed by Braemar representatives and cargo surveyors. Containers are then transferred to an on-shore processing facility at the existing waste transfer centre in Truman Lane. At this centre containers are washed and emptied and the cargo and containers are cleaned. Cargo is then processed in line with the hierarchy of waste management and reused, recycled or disposed of as appropriate. Containers are either scrapped or put back into service.
Braemar has established significant marine based assets for recovery at sea along with a shoreline response teams ready to act should any containers impact the shoreline.
What has happened?
Rena broke in half in 7m swells overnight between 7 and 8 January, 2012, just over 3 months after it ran aground. As a result, an estimated 150 containers fell overboard. It is currently impossible to get an accurate count due to poor visibility and heavy swells. Of the containers lost overboard, up to 60 containers, are believed to be afloat, while the remainder are believed to have sunk.
Who is responsible for recovering the lost containers?
Braemar Howells is responsible for container recovery from the water and had contingency plans in place in anticipation of Rena breaking up. Those plans are now being put into action.
What is being done?
Braemar Howells teams have located around 30 containers. The teams are currently attaching buoys to these containers to enable their recovery once weather conditions permit. A vessel equipped with sonar is searching for sunken containers. The priority is to ensure that the shipping lanes remain clear. Several different vessels, including tugs, barges and landing craft, are available to recover the containers and debris as soon as conditions allow.
Recovery teams are ready to respond to reports of debris and containers that have washed ashore.
What happens if a container washes up on the beach?
Containers and debris are likely to wash up on the beaches and if you see any, please call 0800 333 771. The contents of the containers remain the property of the owners. It is an offence to take any property from the containers and anyone doing so can expect to be prosecuted.
Instructions from Bramar Howell on what to do if you discover a container or container debris [PDF 1 page, 220Kb]
What about shipping traffic?
Navigational warnings have been issued to shipping. Shipping lanes are also being monitored for containers and debris.
Were there any dangerous goods on board?
Yes. MNZ was originally advised that the vessel was carrying 11 containers of dangerous goods. However, on 22 November MNZ was advised of an additional 21 dangerous goods containers onboard. Therefore, there were 32 containers with dangerous goods on board when Rena grounded. It is not uncommon for large cargo vessels to carry dangerous goods.
One container of dangerous goods containing Alkylsuphonic liquid (UN2586), which is water soluble, was lost from the ship during the storm on 11 October. The contents are not considered a significant health risk. It may cause some localised effects to the seabed – these effects are the subject of ongoing monitoring.
Thirty-one containers holding dangerous goods remained on board after 11 October. Four of these containers are on the deck near the bow. They contain empty tanks that previously held hydrogen peroxide, and could give off gasses that could cause eye/nose/throat/skin irritations.
Six containers that were below deck in the sunken rear section of Rena contained ferrosilicon, potassium nitrate and potassium superoxide*. Their current location is unable to be confirmed until a dive survey has taken place. The other recently declared 21 containers hold cryolite* (see details below). Twenty of twenty-one containers were in the sunken number three hold. Many of these will have been released and are expected to be sunk close to the wreck due to their weight. Some of these will still be in the hold, but the whereabouts of containers is unable to be confirmed until a dive survey takes place, in calmer conditions
(See details on chemicals below).
Ferrosilicon, which is a solid matter, has the potential to cause risk if it comes into contact with water. It can give off hydrogen which can cause a fire risk. Appropriate packaging minimises this risk.
A table outlining the classes of dangerous goods can be found below, along with a table outlining the classes of dangerous goods on board Rena.
Top of page
What are the classes of dangerous goods?
Class 1: Explosives |
Class 6: Toxics |
1.1 Mass esplosion |
6.1 Acutely toxic |
1.2 Projection |
6.3 Skin irritant |
1.3 Fire and minor blast |
6.4 Eye irritant |
1.4 No significant hazard |
6.5 Sensitisation |
1.5 Very intensive |
6.6 Mutagen |
1.6 Extremely insensitive |
6.7 Carcinogen |
Class 2: Flammable gases |
6.8 Reproductive / developmental |
2.1.1 Gases |
6.9 Target organ / system |
2.1.2 Aerosols |
Class 8: Corrosives |
Class 3: Flammable liquids |
8.1 Metallic corrosive |
3.1 Liquids |
8.2 Skin corrosive |
3.1 Liquid desensitised explosives |
8.3 Eye corrosive |
Class 4: Flammable solids |
Class 9: Ecotoxics |
4.1.1 Readily combustible |
9.1 Aquatic |
4.1.2 Self-reactive |
9.2 Soil |
4.1.3 Solid desensitised explosives |
9.3 Terrestrial vertebrate |
4.2 Spontaneously combustable |
9.4 Terrestrial invertebrate |
4.3 Dangerous when wet |
|
Class 5: Oxidising agents |
|
5.1.1 Liquids and solids |
|
5.1.2 Gases |
|
5.2 Organic peroxides |
|
What dangerous goods are on board Rena?
Substance |
UN |
Classification |
Hazards in the marine environment |
Amount on board |
Hydrogen peroxide >60% aqeous solution |
2015 |
5.1.1A, 6.1D, 6.9B, 8.2A, 8.3A, 9.1D, 9.3C |
Low aquatic eco-toxicity |
10,000 kgs |
Hydrogen peroxide 20–60% aqeous solution |
2014 |
5.1.1B, 6.1D, 6.9B, 8.2B, 8.3A, 9.1D, 9.3C |
Low aquatic eco-toxicity |
|
Hydrogen peroxide 8–20% aqeous solution |
2984 |
5.1.1C, 6.1E, 6.9B, 8.3A, 9.1D |
Low aquatic eco-toxicity |
|
Trichloroiscyanuric acid |
2468 |
5.1.1B, 6.1D, 6.3A, 8.3A, 9.1A, 9.2D, 9.3B |
Highaquatic eco-toxicity |
5,400 kgs |
Potassium nitrate class 5.1 |
1468 |
5.1.1C, 6.1D, 6.3D, 6.4A, 9.3C |
|
24,096 kgs |
Ferrosilicon with 30% or more but <90% silicon |
1408 |
4.3C, 6.1E |
Emits flammable gas when in contact with water |
21,700 kgs |
Alkysulphonic liquid - class 8 |
|
Typically – 6.1D, 6.5B, 6.3A/8.2C, 8.3A, 9.1A-D, 9.3C |
Range (high–low) of aqautic ecotoxicity |
23,240 kgs |
UN = International dangerous goods identification number
Top of page
On 22 November, MNZ was advised by insurers acting for the charterers of the container ship Rena, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), that there were a further 21 containers containing dangerous goods on board the ship. This is in addition to the 11 containers of dangerous goods already advised.
The contents of these 21 containers were not declared as dangerous goods in the original manifest provided to MNZ and as required under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.
The manifest records the product as “Cover Bath Material” and “Pure Tapped Bath Material”. This is aluminium trisodium hexafluoride, a by-product of the aluminium smelting process also known as cryolite. This product is considered low risk unless ingested or inhaled directly in its dry powdered form.
About 490 tonnes of the product are on board. It is packed in 1 tonne bulk bags inside the 21 containers. The bags have a polyethylene liner and are constructed of polypropylene, so are water resistant, but not water tight. Water is likely to have seeped into the bags within the container.
Twenty of the containers in question are located in hold no.3, which suffered considerable damage in the grounding. The other is in hold no.5. This means they are below deck and not currently accessible.
A total of 17 of the 21 containers are understood to be submerged, but all are likely to have been submerged at some time as the ship has moved.
Immediately after the grounding of Rena on 5 October, the Director of MNZ requested information about all dangerous goods on board the ship from MSC, as declared by the shippers.
MSC identified 11 containers of dangerous goods. MNZ was also provided with a copy of the manifest.
It is the responsibility of the shippers or freight forwarders to correctly identify and label goods.
MNZ sought a thorough review of the manifest some weeks ago, following queries from media about material that could have come from an aluminium smelter. However, the cryolite was not correctly labelled, and not recognised as a dangerous good.
MNZ did not receive confirmation that the cryolite had not been properly labelled until 22 November.
MNZ is carrying out a thorough investigation as to why these dangerous goods were not declared as required under maritime legislation and whether this constitutes a breach of the law.
MNZ has been given a strong assurance by MSC that there are no other potentially dangerous goods on board that have not been declared.
Since learning of this new information on 22 November, MNZ has worked extensively with experts from government agencies and research institutes, as well as international colleagues, to accurately assess the risk posed by cryolite to the marine environment and to people.
They advise potential effects from the product are expected to be minimal, and any risk zone is expected to be localised around the vessel and within the exclusion zone.
Experts advise that the contents of these containers are considered low risk in their current state submerged below decks in the vessel’s holds. Known as cryolite, it is dangerous if inhaled or ingested in its dry form.
In hold no.3, two of the original dangerous goods containers (containing Potassium Nitrate and Trichloroisocyanuric acid) are next to containers containing the cryrolite. The single container of cryolite in hold no.5 is in the same hold as four containers of ferrosilicon, all underwater.
Hold no.3 is also open to the sea, so there is regular dilution and flushing of any mixture created in the water in that hold.
The product is listed as “toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects”. However, our environmental advisors note there are a number of factors which suggest that the risk may be reduced.
The product is only slightly soluble in water, and the rate of release of the product is expected to be diminished due to the packaging. As the majority of the product is in the damaged hold no.3 and this hold is open to the sea, there is considerable mixing and dilution within the hold, and as water leaves the hold.
The product breaks down to naturally occurring elements, predominantly aluminium and fluoride. These elements become less harmful in seawater due to reactions with other naturally abundant elements.
However, targeted monitoring of the water in the hold is scheduled (when weather permits) to determine whether aluminium and fluoride levels are elevated above levels normally found in seawater.
Top of page
The relatively small amount of cryolite that may be dissolved will be massively and very rapidly diluted.
At very high levels these elements would be expected to have an acute effect on algae and, to a lesser extent, on fauna. However these levels would only currently be expected in the vicinity of the vessel.
Dangerous goods classifications are mainly to assist with safe handling of bulk or concentrated materials. Many common chemicals that are safely used by us all are classed as dangerous goods during transportation and can be toxic in the wrong circumstances.
An example would be chlorine or hydrochloric acids, which are used in swimming pools at low concentrations, but are harmful at high concentrations.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Food Safety) advises that if there were to be any effects on seafood they will be localised to Astrolabe Reef itself and no restrictions are required on the taking of commercial seafood outside the current exclusion zone.
For further information on seafood safety, go to www.toiteorapublichealth.govt.nz for recreational use and http://www.maf.govt.nz for commercial fishers.
Flora and fauna that are not mobile, like algae and many shellfish, are more likely to be affected than for example finfish, which are unlikely to come into contact with the cryolite due to their tendency to avoid pollutants in the water.
The immediate approach is to obtain samples of seawater from the relevant holds and have them analysed by a certified laboratory. These samples will be taken when the movement on the vessel from the current weather conditions allow. Once these are obtained they would take a couple of working days to be analysed.
Once the vessel is removed the relevant agencies intend undertaking sampling in the vicinity of the vessel to identify the effect of any contaminants from the vessel.
Back to the main incident page
Top of page
