T/B Pequeco #II; Elk River, Chesapeake Bay

Elk River, Chesapeake Bay | 2000-Jan-30

Initial Notification: On January 30, 2000 the tank barge (T/B) Pequeco II sank in the Chesapeake Bay/Elk River in the vicinity of Turkey Point in 38 feet of water. The barge was carrying a heated cargo of 1,072 tons (2,144,709 pounds) of liquid sodium silicate and approximately 200 gallons of diesel in a deck tank when it sank between 1750 and 1819 hours of 30 January. The high pH (11.3) and the large quantity of chemical involved posed a potential threat to the fish and invertebrates in the local marine environment. Ice coverage over the barge ranged from 100% ice on 31 January to 60% ice coverage by 11 February. The confluence of the Susquehanna and the Elk River appeared to be concentrating the ice along the Maryland Eastern Shore in the vicinity of the sunken barge. The ice significantly delayed salvage activities due to the dangers associated with diving in heavy ice coupled with the relatively strong (2+ knots) currents observed in the area. USCG district 5. Keyword: sodium silicate, tank barge, salvage, winter, heavy lift, ice conditions, non-regulated cargo, risk analysis.