A salvage team was assessing whether to begin the removal today of more than 3,000 tonnes of chemicals from a freight vessel which was en route from Ireland to Norway when it sank at the end of June.
The removal of 3,300 tonnes of zinc concentrate from the strickenCypriot-registered Jambo which sank off the west coast of Scotland, was due to begin on Monday, according to the salvage team's timescale.
However the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said that, following preparationsfor the operation which have now stretched to several days, work was finally dueto get under way today.
A spokesman for the agency said the salvage team spent last night making finalchecks on moorings and equipment.
"There have been no delays as such in the operation getting under way butsituations like this usually allow a buffer zone in terms of the timescale forgetting things done," he said.
The spokesman added that there were currently no perceived weather problemswhich could delay the operation.
The team was due to place a crane barge near the Jambo, which is lying in 60feet of water, before the zinc compound was pumped into several other nearbybarges.
The mineral particulates would then be allowed to settle to the bottom and theoverlying water pumped back into the sea in an agreed area under licence.
A temporary exclusion zone has been set up around the area while it remains awork site.
The Jambo sank after it struck rocks near the entrance to Loch Broom, smashinga hole in the bow and flooding the vessel.
Seven crew members were rescued from the 61-metre boat.
A lifeboat and another vessel were scrambled and the Polish and Croatian crewwere rescued uninjured.In the wake of the accident, police, marine accident investigators andenvironmental protection agencies set up a group to assess any potential risk tothe environment and to the public from the zinc onboard.
PA