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A study carried out by the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation is reported to have concluded that a sunken barge still carrying 70,000 litres of diesel in Nova Scotia is unlikely to cause significant damage to the environment.

The Shovel Master, a dredging barge based in Saint John, New Brunswick, owned by J.D. Irving Ltd., sank in rough seas approximately 80 kilometres south of Yarmouth on November 22nd as it was being towed to Halifax. The vessel is currently under 150 metres of water, upside down but largely intact.

In a statement, J.D. Irving spokesman Geoff Britt said “The authors of the report conclude that the risk of the sunken barge being the source of an incident resulting in significant environmental or economic impacts is judged to be extremely low.”

"Drawing on the example of vessels sunk during hostilities (during the Second World War), it may be 50 years or more before the effects of corrosion are apparent," the study said.

Data for the report was gathered by an unmanned submarine which examined the sunken barge and recorded video of the sunken ship on November 30th.

In an interview, Britt said initial fly-overs discovered only two-to-five litres of sheen on the water from spilled fuel.

“There hasn’t been a sighting of any leakage for quite some time,” Britt said. “Even when we did the underwater survey, there was no sign of leakage at all from the gas tank.”

The Canadian Coast Guard also says daily surveillance flights confirm virtually no fuel has leaked from the wreck.

Tim Surette, the Coast Guard's director for Maritime Services, said the fact the tanks are still intact will give them more time to consider all the options with regards to what to do with the vessel. Surette also reportedly confirmed the barge is carrying No. 2 diesel, rather than the heavier No. 3 diesel, which does not dissipate as quickly when spilled in the water.

The report will be reviewed before recommendations are made by a government-led panel known as the Regional Environmental Emergency Team (REET). Discussions between J.D. Irving and REET are ongoing.