About the need for an assessment on the risk of pollution from the fuel on board the shipwreck of the former USS Peacock in the Bay of Cartagena de Indias

Abstract

The tugboat USS Peacock was sunk near the tip of the Castillogrande peninsula in the Bay of Cartagena when it accidentally collided with the Norwegian-flagged merchant ship MS Hindanger on 23 August 1940. Almost split in two, it quickly sank, killing three crew members while 23 were rescued. Since it started to be monitored in 1992, it has been noted that fuel drops sporadically come out of the shipwreck and its position coincides with the measurements of the highest concentration of hydrocarbons in the bay. The Diving and Salvage Department of the Colombian Navy has been monitoring this situation that is still ongoing. Therefore, this article suggests a research project to evaluate of the amount of fuel that the shipwreck may have on board and to study the alternatives to remove it in order to allay the environmental risk.