A remote operated vehicle inspects cable 2, one of two severed American Transmission Company cables, at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, April 23, 2018. (Photo courtesy of American Transmission Company)
MACKINAW CITY, Mich. — The Unified Command completed the underwater remotely operated vehicle visual assessment of American Transmission Company’s six utility cables, Monday.
ATC contracted with Durocher Marine and T&T Subsea to provide tugs, a barge, and an ROV to assess the condition of the utility cables.
The ROV obtained underwater, visual imagery showing that two of six cables were severed.
With the sonar scan and visual assessment complete, ATC, Durocher Marine, and T&T Subsea are developing a plan to effectively cap the ends of the severed cables, to prevent any potential pollution. After approval of the plan by the Unified Command, the capping operation will begin later this week.
Under the oversight of the Unified Command, American Transmission Company continues to extract mineral oil from two damaged cables in the Straits of Mackinac. To date, approximately 590 gallons of mineral oil has been extracted from the two cables.
