CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard is responding to a report of a bizarre discharge of an unknown substance from the site of a barge that sank in 1937 near Kelley’s Island Shoal in Lake Erie, Sunday.
Due to the report, the Coast Guard has established a safety zone 3 nautical miles east of Kelley’s Island Shoal extending 1,000 feet around position.
Friday evening crews at Marine Safety Unit Toledo, Ohio, received a report from the Cleveland Underwater Explorers, of a leak of an unknown substance emanating from the barge and an odor of solvent, but they did not observe the leak underwater. CLUE divers were investigating the wreck to determine if it was the barge Argo which sank during a storm in 1937.
MSU Toledo deployed pollution responders with boat crews from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Crews reported smelling a strong odor of a solvent on Friday and Saturday.
An initial overflight was conducted by a Coast Guard Air Station Detroit aircrew on Saturday, with MSU Toledo pollution responders aboard, who reported observing a 400 yard discoloration on the water near the site. A second overflight on Sunday morning was unable to locate any discoloration.
