Sinking boat hinders Cairo development

CAIRO, Ill. -- A sinking towboat is hindering plans for riverfront and downtown redevelopment, and is creating a potentially dangerous situation, say city officials.

The boat pulled into Cairo in July after reporting a fire on board that was extinguished by the local fire department, said Fire Chief Harvey Clark.

The boat's owner, Bayou Marine Towing Co. of Ponchatoula, La., began repairs but after a worker fell in August left it unattended for weeks.

Waves slammed the boat into rocks, puncturing holes in its hull. Although it is moored by a cable, the aft section of the boat is submerged, and it continues to settle into the water.

"We are very upset and frustrated that no one wants to do anything about it," Clark said. "This boat is an ugly hood ornament that is hindering our ability to start downtown development efforts."

The city has received millions of dollars in grants to develop its riverfront and downtown areas.

Clark is also concerned about the safety of people who climb onto the damaged boat, which he said is unstable and could capsize. It is also leaking oil into the river.

Clark said the owner of the boat is insolvent and its phones disconnected. He said calls to the Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the boat's creditor have failed to prompt action.

Clark said the creditor, Source Capital of Baton Rouge, La., told him it has no plans to claim the boat. The Coast Guard said it could not act because the boat was out of the Ohio River shipping lanes, and the Corps and EPA say the issue is not critical enough for immediate action, according to Clark.

"All we are getting is the runaround," Clark said.

It could cost as much as $130,000 to get cranes from St. Louis to lift the boat and transport it to Paducah, Ky., to a shipyard for repairs, an expense the city cannot afford, he said.