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[[File:The Mega Borg fire, 1990-06-02 -c.jpg | thumb | The ''Mega Borg'' was destroyed by fire, in June 1990.]] | [[File:The Mega Borg fire, 1990-06-02 -c.jpg | thumb | The ''Mega Borg'' was destroyed by fire, in June 1990.]] | ||
The '''''Mega Borg''''' was a [[tanker]] that was struck by a devastating fire off the coast of [[Galveston]], [[Texas]], in June 1990.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/> The fire burned for 8 days.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-17/> The vessel was a write-off, and her hull was towed to be dismantled in [[Karachi]], | The '''''Mega Borg''''' was a [[tanker]] that was struck by a devastating fire off the coast of [[Galveston]], [[Texas (U.S. state)|Texas]], in June 1990.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/><ref name=Congress1990-06-21/> The fire burned for 8 days.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-17/> The vessel was a write-off, and her hull was towed to be dismantled in [[Karachi]], Pakistan. | ||
She was a single-hulled vessel, built in 1975. | She was a single-hulled vessel, built in 1975. | ||
The ''Mega Borg'' contained 38 million gallons of oil, three times as much as had been carried by the ''[[Exxon Valdez]]'' which had run aground, releasing all her oil, in [[Valdez, Alaska]], in 1989.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/><ref name=nytimes1990-06-17/> A side-effect of the fire is that most of | The ''Mega Borg'' contained 38 million gallons of oil, three times as much as had been carried by the ''[[Exxon Valdez]]'' which had run aground, releasing all her oil, in [[Valdez, Alaska]], in 1989.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/><ref name=nytimes1990-06-17/> A side-effect of the fire is that most of the leaked oil was consumed by fire, and did not leak onto the sea.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/> 4 million gallons escaped, to the sea, but all but 17,000 gallons was consumed by fire. | ||
No efforts were made to put out the fire on the oil that leaked onto the ocean surface.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/><ref name=nytimes1990-06-17/> Officials decided the air pollution from the burning oil would have a much less serious impact on the environment than floating oil contaminating beaches or being consumed by marine animals. | No efforts were made to put out the fire on the oil that leaked onto the ocean surface.<ref name=nytimes1990-06-11/><ref name=nytimes1990-06-17/> Officials decided the air pollution from the burning oil would have a much less serious impact on the environment than floating oil contaminating beaches or being consumed by marine animals. | ||
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{{cite news | {{cite news | ||
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/17/us/ship-burned-all-week-salvagers-explain-why.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxftl1y6ma3DLDm8diPkORJOA-l-Ib7d5YdY_mj2fQJpePbIsAed7yvFWMEF3UEylsoOAkZUDZjo1uMSzQmYyldrrbIwPzAXLPCO_Ofstg_q2pQ6HOzy9RqzZhHYqJ11hvcBudw213XxfzrOWFuRxxtN1j_hwBct7QzwEZDKY_KW9U2UIM9uGZhnX6AExSrsZDWmVxYjAnupGJAZCClvGT2d96HI-6L5cONAVPaX5LH0waZa0wOVRWiEzctDfV9BmTJPUlr5qrbfHtRaPrcG1zPw0H6hU16jWkzYi53zsk66oMNlzCcx5cQ&smid=em-share | | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/17/us/ship-burned-all-week-salvagers-explain-why.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxftl1y6ma3DLDm8diPkORJOA-l-Ib7d5YdY_mj2fQJpePbIsAed7yvFWMEF3UEylsoOAkZUDZjo1uMSzQmYyldrrbIwPzAXLPCO_Ofstg_q2pQ6HOzy9RqzZhHYqJ11hvcBudw213XxfzrOWFuRxxtN1j_hwBct7QzwEZDKY_KW9U2UIM9uGZhnX6AExSrsZDWmVxYjAnupGJAZCClvGT2d96HI-6L5cONAVPaX5LH0waZa0wOVRWiEzctDfV9BmTJPUlr5qrbfHtRaPrcG1zPw0H6hU16jWkzYi53zsk66oMNlzCcx5cQ&smid=em-share | ||
| title = Ship Burned All Week; Salvagers Explain Why | | title = Ship Burned All Week; Salvagers Explain Why | ||
| work = [[New York Times]] | | work = [[New York Times]] | ||
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</ref> | </ref> | ||
{{cite | <ref name=Congress1990-06-21> | ||
| url = | {{cite web | ||
| title = | | url = https://books.google.ca/books?id=7GIoAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA33&dq=%22mega+borg%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjcoI6b8KT5AhXKkIkEHQztBUAQ6AF6BAhKEAI#v=onepage&q=%22mega%20borg%22&f=false | ||
| | | title = Investigation Into Coastal Oil Spills: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, One Hundred First Congress, Second Session ... June 21, 1990 | ||
| author = | | publisher = [[U.S. Government Printing Office]] | ||
| date = | | author = [[Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries]], [[House of Representatives]] | ||
| date = 1990-06-21 | |||
| page = | | page = | ||
| location = | | location = | ||
Revision as of 11:14, 14 February 2024
The Mega Borg was a tanker that was struck by a devastating fire off the coast of Galveston, Texas, in June 1990.[1][2] The fire burned for 8 days.[3] The vessel was a write-off, and her hull was towed to be dismantled in Karachi, Pakistan.
She was a single-hulled vessel, built in 1975.
The Mega Borg contained 38 million gallons of oil, three times as much as had been carried by the Exxon Valdez which had run aground, releasing all her oil, in Valdez, Alaska, in 1989.[1][3] A side-effect of the fire is that most of the leaked oil was consumed by fire, and did not leak onto the sea.[1] 4 million gallons escaped, to the sea, but all but 17,000 gallons was consumed by fire.
No efforts were made to put out the fire on the oil that leaked onto the ocean surface.[1][3] Officials decided the air pollution from the burning oil would have a much less serious impact on the environment than floating oil contaminating beaches or being consumed by marine animals.
Four crew members were killed when the fire struck.[3]
Much of the time the fire raged salvage vessels with water cannon concentrated on merely cooling the hull, and did not spray firefighting foam.[3] There is a maximum temperature beyond which it is wasteful to mix firefighting foam into the water cannon's spray. The fire could not be brought under control until the heat had been reduced, so firefighters could go on board and close valves between the oil tanks and the engine room, which was were the fire was centred.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lisa Belkin. Flaming Oil Is Spilled Into Gulf as Blasts Rack Tanker, New York Times, 1990-06-11, p. A1. Retrieved on 2022-08-01.
- ↑ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives (1990-06-21). Investigation Into Coastal Oil Spills: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, One Hundred First Congress, Second Session ... June 21, 1990. U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved on 2022-08-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Roberto Suro. Ship Burned All Week; Salvagers Explain Why, New York Times, 1990-06-17, p. A18. Retrieved on 2022-08-01.