[Western Phil]

Additional information I found somewhere:

According to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines spokesman Greg Beuerman (beer man), the crew was attempting to remove ballast water, a practice required under international maritime rules to prevent marine organisms picked up at one port from being dumped with the ballast in another part of the world. He said alien organisms can cause significant damage in their new habitat, so the water is released on the high seas.



Beuerman said too much water was probably discharged when the crew was adjusting the ballast.



The ship carries nearly five thousand Mazda automobiles, valued at about 90-million dollars. It had been headed to west coast ports in British Columbia, Washington State and California.

[skeptoid]

Thanks .... I've wondered WHY they would discharge ballast on the high seas. This makes sense.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Enviro rules (and the poor pumping practice that was trying to execute those laws) caused the failure.

But you won't hear the MSM fault the enviro's ....