Posted on 04/02/2010 8:03:15 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Norwegian Government has announced that the wreck of the WW2 German submarine U-864, which contains 65 tons of mercury, is to be raised, and that the contaminated seabed be covered with clean sand. The submarine, which lies off the Norwegian west coast near Fedje, north of Bergen, has long been considered an environmental hazard by environmental groups and local people.
However, experts have disagreed on whether or not the wreck should be raised or if it would be better to build a sarcophagus which would isolate the mercury from the marine environment, thereby eliminating the pollution hazard.
Head of the Norwegian Marine Safety Directorate, Magne Roedland says the wreck should be raised.
He believes that the strong currents around the wreck will undermine the sarcophagus, resulting in leaks of mercury. The local population agree and have said the wreck must be removed.
This week, Fisheries and Coastal Minister Helga Pedersen announced that she had decided that the wreck will be raised. 'I have given highest consideration to the insecurity felt by the local population, as well as the concern by the fisheries industry over possible contamination of the waters, if the wreck would just be entombed,' she said..
(Excerpt) Read more at fishupdate.com ...
Too risky to raise. Bury it Chernobyl-style.
Watch this. They will drop or break it while raising and the mercury will be released.
How about sucking it as clean as possible of the mercury.
Hm. That would seem like a sensible thing to consider.
That is not the only problem that they have to deal with. There might be live torpedoes inside the wreck.
Anyone want to bet that it breaks up while it’s being lifted, and spills mercury all across the entire seabed on which it’s resting?
? 65 tons of mercury? How? Why? What?
It immediately brought to mind “Shadow Divers”.
Wow.
Norway should just convert a few hundred of its sovereign gold ingots into fishing weights by drilling a hole thru ‘em. Then lower the weights into the vicinity of the mercury, and if the ingots come up coated with merc, it will show the containers were breached.
Boy, I sure hope not. That would suck for everyone. I think HiTechRedneck is right...that would have to be safer than trying to raise that thing.
According to decrypted intercepts of German naval communications with Japan, U-864’s mission was to transport military equipment to Japan destined for the Japanese military industry, including approximately 67 tons of metallic mercury in 1,857 32 kg steel flasks stored in her keel.
Thanks for that info.
I agree. Entombing it is really the only way to go.
Good point! That is 130,000 pounds of mercury and I doubt the sub weighs that much?
According to Underwater Times, the U-864 is at 150 meters and also carried Me-262 jet aircraft parts and 22 torpedoes. Could be dicey.
I think this German sub was broken into two parts by the torpedo from the british sub.Your idea sounds better.I would bet the same company that raised that russian sub will get the job if the do go ahead with the raising.
Her sister ship U-234 carried technical drawings, examples of the newest electric torpedoes, one crated Me 262 jet aircraft, a Henschel Hs 293 glide bomb, and what was listed on the US Unloading Manifest as 560 kg of uranium oxide.They surrendered to the Americans.There is a very good documentary on this.
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