“At this time, no atmospheric hazards have been detected and the Unified Command continues to ensure safety,” the statement read.

Upal Ghosh, a hydrologist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said environmental officials’ first priority would likely be making sure none of the intact containers were breached, and to ensure the remaining containers did not fall off during salvaging efforts, as the boat is in a “very precarious position.”

The 56 containers are a fraction of the thousands of containers on board the ship at time of the collision, which means any potential leakage could be “small scale,” Ghosh said.

Authorities will also need to determine any potential impacts it may have upon divers looking for four missing construction workers who are presumed dead after falling into the water after the bridge collapsed, he said. Officials identified two people, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, on Wednesday after divers recovered their bodies from a submerged pickup truck.

“If you have containers that contain oily material, those things will, if they are breached, be releasing over time,” Ghosh said. Over time, any oil spills could begin to impact sea life, like crabs, clams, and worms.

“I would think if there is a release that goes down into the sediments under the water, it would be a local impact right there,” he said.

_____

(Baltimore Sun reporter Christine Condon contributed to this article.)

_____

©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.