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300 tons dumped cargo were contaminated with seawater and hydrocarbons

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has admitted that 300 tonnes of the 20,000 tonne load of the Ruby' had become contaminated by seawater, leading to it being dumped out to sea. During the transhipment of the cargo at Great Yarmouth, the seawater and a small amount of hydrocarbons were found to have entered the forward-most hold of the vessel, which was likely to have resulted from the grounding incident. Before the arrival in Great Yarmouth on Oct 28, the ship had been anchored about 11 miles off the coast of Margate in Kent while awaiting repairs to her hull and propeller, which were damaged in bad weather. All non-essential port operations were halted to ensure the vessel complied with strict regulations. The MCA insisted that the contaminated ammonium nitrate was not a risk to the people of Norfolk. The port had previously announced in a statement that it adhered to all of the UK's safety regulations as well as international maritime standards: "The MCA, Norfolk Resilience Forum, HSE and the Port worked together to mitigate any risk to local residents, including providing support and guidance on ammonium nitrate, halting all non-essential port operations and regular site checks to ensure compliance. The MCA and its partners have worked together to continually monitor the situation with the MV Ruby, including working to understand changing risks." Report with photos: https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/24737127.mv-ruby-cargo-vessel-dumped-300-tonnes-ammonium-nitrate/

Remainder of cargo to be transferred in the forthcoming days

According to the British Coast Guard, the 'Ruby' was ordered to dump a small amount of its contaminated cargo of ammonium nitrate into the sea. The ship spent 30 hours circling an area 20 kilometers from the port of Great Yarmouth,, before returning to the terminal again. The Coast Guard's plan is now for the rest of the ship's cargo to be transferred to the handysize bulk carrier, 'Zimrida' in the coming days.

The Ruby dumped part of its cargo of ammonium nitrate into the sea

After the unloading of the cargo of the 'Ruby' has begun, the operation hit a snag when some of the fertiliser was found to be contaminated, potentially making it more risky to handle. The ship made a brief move out of the port of Great Yarmouth on Nov 16 at around 10 a.m. UTC and sailed just beyond the 12-mile limit for international waters. According to Norfolk County, the ship dumped an undisclosed part of its cargo of ammonium nitrate, which was contaminated, at sea (Lat. 52.5270 Lng 2.0582). Ammonium nitrate is highly soluble in seawater and can lead to eutrophication, where accelerated algae growth causes oxygen depletion, harming aquatic life. The ship spent more than 30 hours circling as its cargo was apparently dumped into the North Sea before it was allowed to return to port on Nov 18 at around noon to continue the unloading of the remainder, which should then be transferred onto the 'Zimrida' (IMO: 9380817), which has been moored alongside the ship since Oct 29. The regional and local authorities reacted strongly against this return, which would have been directly approved by the British Minister of Transport. A spokesman for Peel Ports, which operates Great Yarmouth’s outer harbour, refused to confirm or deny whether the ship had dumped ammonium nitrate into the sea, saying they could not comment on anything that had not happened in the port. The company said in a statement: “The MV Ruby left the port briefly for operational reasons but has since returned and transshipment of cargo to another vessel is ongoing." Richard Goffin, director of Great Yarmouth port, stated: “We have done our duty as a port to assist a vessel in distress and its crew by providing them with a safe haven. Everything we have done has been in accordance with the guidance provided by the port authorities." Initially, the ship, which had set sail from the Russian port Kandalaksha, near Murmansk, where it loaded its cargo, was to head for the Canary Islands. Following a storm in the Barents Sea on Aug 29, the ship had to stop in Norway where a damage was noted.