Pollutants Removed From Grounded Bulk Carrier in Mexico

Updated: November 18, 2020 (Originally published May 27, 2016)

The removal of fuel and all hazardous materials from the stranded bulk carrier Los Llanitos concluded earlier this month as the salvage now moves to dismantling the ship on site in Mexico. 

The Mexican environmental agency PROFEPA, responsible for overseeing the salvage, says that the threat of a spill into the environment has been reduced after all pollutants, including diesel, hazardous waste, and oil residue, have now been successfully removed from the vessel.

The Mexican-flagged bulk carrier was not carrying any cargo when it ran aground in the vicinity of Punta Graham in Jalisco, Mexico during Hurricane Patricia last October. The vessel remains grounded in the same position and shows no signs of breaking up any further than the crack that appeared amidships soon after grounding. 

Officials have determined that the best salvage plan is to dismantle the ship on-site, foregoing earlier plans to try to scuttle the vessel in deepwater waters nearby. Salvors are now awaiting the results of an environmental impact review before the dismantling operation can get underway.

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