Aml-Louis-Jolliet

About 7,500 litres of diesel fuel have leaked into the St. Lawrence River from a cruise ship docked in Quebec City. Urgences-Environnement and the coast guard were still working Sunday afternoon to contain the spill, which was first noticed around 7:30 a.m. The diesel was leaking from the Louis-Jolliet, a boat that could transport up to 1,000 passengers. But the leak would likely have a minimum impact on river ecosystems, said Urgences-Environnement spokesperson Frédéric Cournier. “We are here to make sure it’s all cleaned up,” said Cournier, adding that the owner of the cruise ship, Croisières AML, was also helping with the operation. “Luckily the weather and the tides this morning made it such that the diesel stayed put.” Clean-up teams have set up booms to further contain the oil, and are using special machinery to pump it out of the water. Cournier could not pinpoint the cause of the leak and said it was too early to say whether fines would be eventually levied on the owner for negligence. More at http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/7500l-of-diesel-leaks-from-cruise-ship-docked-in-quebec-city

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) investigation into the grounding of the passenger vessel Louis Jolliet has highlighted the need for comprehensive emergency procedures, training and drills, according to its investigation report. On May 16, 2013, the passenger vessel Louis Jolliet ran aground off Sainte-Pétronille, Île d’Orléans, Quebec, while on a cruise with 57 passengers.

Following the inspection of the "Louis Jolliet" AML Cruises confirmed on May 27 that a mechanical failure was the cause of the allision in Quebec. The Office of Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed two investigators on site on May 26 evening. It was only during the docking manoever that the crew realized the problem of the clutch failure. Given the situation, it was decided to reverse the ship to reduce the impact. When striking the dock, the ship was sailing at 3.6 knots. The impact was so strong that the hull of the vessel and the concrete wharf were damaged. Three of the 77 passengers suffered minor injuries. The part of the clutch which failed was sent to the factory for analysis. The "Grand River", based in Tadoussac, will take over the service of the "Louis Jolliet" on May 29. She could resume service next week.