Follow
Crew from Coast Guard Station Harbor Beach, Mich., aboard a 25-foot response boat conduct mooring training in Lake Huron near the Harbor Beach Lighthouse, June 24, 2014. The Harbor Beach Lighthouse is a “sparkplug lighthouse” located at the end of the north breakwall entrance to the harbor of refuge on Lake Huron. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Peter Brown)
U.S. Coast Guard inactive cables may pose danger to beachgoers at 48 sites across the U.S. according to a recent report. Last year on July 11th one such cable caused an explosion which sent Kathleen Danise to the hospital with two broken ribs.
Last summer’s explosion took place on Salty Brine Beach of Narragansett, Rhode Island. According to investigations, the probable cause of explosion is the accumulation of hydrogen around the corroded copper of the U.S. Coast Guard cable.
As per a report received by the Associated Press, another 48 sites may still hide U.S. Coast Guard cables. These U.S. Coast Guard inactive cables may pose danger to beachgoers and not only. The majority of the U.S. Coast Guard lights have passed through the transition from electric to solar power. However, the inactive cables were left in place, without the sites being under any supervision.
As a result, there are no certain records of the inactive U.S. Coast Guard cables. Unless digging operations are conducted, there is no way to know for sure. However, these cables are still recorded in the database of the U.S. Coast Guard. Their exact location is unknown. At the same time, there is no indication of the time these were installed.
According to the list obtained by the Associated Press, a total number of 48 sites should still harbor inactive cables. 21 sites are recorded in Michigan. Michigan has the highest number of sites possibly hiding inactive U.S. Coast Guard cables. Wisconsin is the second state on the list, harboring eight such sites. Illinois follows with five sites were inactive cables could become hazards.
Indiana and Ohio count three sites each, while Minnesota has two inactive cables sites. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island appear on the list with one site each.
The inactive cables aren’t hidden just underneath beaches. In Minnesota, one cable should run underneath a sidewalk. From here, it continues to a rocky beach and then goes out to the breakwall. However, the inactive cable doesn’t seem to be a cause of concern. Neither the U.S. Coast Guard, nor the electrical department of Two Harbors in Minnesota finds the cable to be a potential hazard.
The same is valid for other states counting one to two sides hiding inactive cables. Others are evaluating the findings. However, Chris Reddy with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of Massachusetts declared that the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities overseeing this potentially hazardous sites should analyse the situation together and find a balance between benefits and risks of removing the cables or leaving them in the ground.
Photo Credits: Wikimedia
Leave a Reply