When Oil is the Lesser of Two Evils: Comparative Risk of the Shipwreck EMPIRE KNIGHT

When Oil is the Lesser of Two Evils: Comparative Risk of the Shipwreck EMPIRE KNIGHT Cornell J. Rosiu, First Coast Guard District - Incident Management, 408 Atlantic Ave, Boston MA 02110Stephen M. Lehmann, NOAA - Office of Response and Restoration, 10 George St, #220, Lowell, MA 01852David M. Sherry, Center for Law and Military Operations, Charlottesville, VA 22903Wyman W. Briggs, USCG - Sector Northern New England, 259 High St, South Portland, ME 04106Peter J. Blanchard, Maine DEP – Div. of Response Services, #17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333At the height of WWII in February of 1944, the 428-ft British ship EMPIRE KNIGHT ran aground on Boon Island Ledge off York, Maine during a storm. It broke in two and sank with the stern section in 243-ft of water where it remains today. Her hull contained 10,000-bbls of diesel fuel oil, military tank and locomotive parts, 5-in cannon shells and 16,000-lbs of elemental mercury stored in 221 glass and steel carboys. This poster summarizes the wreck disposition...