95.3 / 88.5 FM Grand Rapids and 95.3 FM Muskegon
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Underwater craft headed to the Straits of Mackinac for damage inspection

Straits of Mackinac photo
Gregory Varnum via Wikimedia | CC BY 3.0
/
wikimedia.org

  

An electrical cable that leaked hundreds of gallons of mineral oils into the Straits of Mackinac will be inspected – as soon as the weather clears up.

Unified Command is a team of local, state and federal officials that responded to the spill reported earlier this month. The owner of cable line, American Transmission Company is also on the team.

The plan is to send a remotely operated vehicle – or R-O-V under the water to inspect the line.

Pamela Manns is a spokesperson for Unified Command. 

“The ROV will provide that imagery to help us plan for the future and what we’re going to do next to eliminate that pollution threat.”

Depending on what they find, Unified Command might require repairs or removal of the cable. Manns says the vehicle will hopefully go down by the end of the week.