The MCP Altona incident

On 23 December 2010, a cargo ship carrying 350 000 kilograms (kg) of uranium ore concentrates (U3O8) belonging to the Canadian resource corporation Cameco left Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and encountered severe weather conditions between Hawaii and the Midway Islands in international waters en route to Zhanjiang, People’s Republic of China (PRC). The ship, the MCP Altona, suffered some damage to its hull but was able to continue to operate through the storm. Once the sea had calmed, the crew noticed that some of the containers on the ship had shifted and had been damaged. The captain, however, was unable to secure the necessary authorizations to obtain safe harbour in the area as there were no signs of immediate risk to the health and safety of the ship’s crew. On Cameco's recommendation, the ship returned to British Columbia.

Nuclear Law Bulletin, Volume 2012 Issue 2

The MCP Altona incident

the Canadian regulatory response and framework for the export of uranium