The Watch Mary Carey All Babe Network (2013)Australian government wants millions of dollars from a Chinese company after its ship, the Shen Neng 1, ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef in April 2010.
In a Federal Court hearing Tuesday, the government asked for A$120 million ($92 million) from Shenzhen Energy Transport to clean up the 40-hectare (100-acre) crash site. The company is fighting the bill.
SEE ALSO: Scientists find unusual donut shapes hiding behind the Great Barrier ReefThe ship went off course and was grounded in Douglas Shoal, which lies in the southern reaches of the iconic reef, causing extensive damage. Headed for Bayuquan, China the ship was carrying coal when it veered off course.
Of particular concern to the government were the paint particles that spilled onto the reef from the ship during the incident, which the government said included a toxic ingredient called tributyltin.
Tributyltin was used as an anti-fouling agent on ships to slow marine organic growth on ship hulls. The substance is now banned internationally, and was thought to be a culprit in causing sea snails to switch their gender.
The government said hundreds of kilograms of paint flakes had leached into the reef area, ABC Newsreported.
"The poison, the contaminant in a flake, will be there as long as the flake is there," barrister for the Commonwealth, Martin Scott, told the court. "Not all of these flakes are just sitting on the surface, some of them have become mixed into the sediment for example."
In court, Shenzhen Energy Transport said the demanded costs were unrealistic. It also argued the reef was "self-healing," making a clean-up effort unnecessary.
In an impact assessment report issued in 2011, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) said the incident had caused "severe physical damage" as well as "considerable contamination by toxic chemicals."
According to the GBRMPA, the area features an abundance of sponges and corals, in addition to a diversity of fish life.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
(Editor: {typename type="name"/})
Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth
Samsung and TSMC to jointly supply Tesla with 4nm auto
Warner Music Group and TikTok forge expanded licensing agreement · TechNode
Scientists eavesdrop on whales with deep
Best earbuds deal: Save 20% on Soundcore Sport X20 by Anker
Best free online courses from Harvard University
China’s SAIC confirms cooperation with Audi for EV platforms development · TechNode
Warner Music Group and TikTok forge expanded licensing agreement · TechNode
Waitin’ on the Student Debt Jubilee
China to boost private enterprise in effort to revive growth · TechNode
Amazon Prime Grubhub deal: Save $10 off orders of $20 or more
iOS 17.5 beta 1 is here: 3 new features coming to your iPhone
接受PR>=1、BR>=1,流量相当,内容相关类链接。