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Tank Barge Argo; Western Lake Erie, Ohio

Western Lake Erie, Ohio | 2015-Sep-16

Initial Notification: On October 20, 1937, the tank barge Argo foundered in a storm and sank in western Lake Erie. At the time of the sinking, the barge was reportedly loaded with 4,762 barrels of crude oil and benzol. The vessel was identified in the 2013 NOAA RULET (Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threats) report and database as potential pollution threat, but the exact location of the wreck was unknown. Recently the vessel was located, confirmed to be in U.S. waters of Lake Erie, and appears from side-scan sonar survey imagery to be intact and may be periodically leaking.

Incident Details
Primary threat:Oil
Tags:Derelict, Historic Wreck
Products of concern:Crude Oil, Benzol
Total amount at risk of spill: 200000 gallons
Latitude (approximate): 41° 38.36′ North
Longitude (approximate): 82° 29.60′ West
On-Water Recovery: Applied
Shoreline Cleanup: Unknown/Not applicable
Dispersants: Unknown/Not applicable
In-Situ Burn: Evaluated but not used
Bioremediation: Applied