“From where I sit, it is outrageous that any vessel could find itself 12 kilometers off course, it seems, in the Great Barrier Reef,” Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said about the Chinese coal freighter that is beached on the corals. The Chinese vessel is leaking oil and threatens to damage the fragile ecosystem. 
Mr. Rudd on Tuesday flew over the stricken vessel, which had strayed at least 12 kilometers, or seven and a half miles, outside the authorized shipping channel, and promised afterward a full investigation to identify and punish those responsible. He noted that the captain could be subject to up to three years in prison if found negligent and that the vessel’s owners could be liable for a fine exceeding $5 million.
The vessel is the Shen Neng 1, which ran aground at Saturday at full speed near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Bob Brown, the leader of the Greens Party has accused the prominent political parties of not protecting Australia’s environment. Mr. Brown said in a statement afterward that the vessel was “an environmental time bomb.” He compared it to a threat of terrorism, saying that from the air, “it’s like looking down on an unclaimed bag in a subway.”
Mr. Rudd on Tuesday flew over the stricken vessel, which had strayed at least 12 kilometers, or seven and a half miles, outside the authorized shipping channel, and promised afterward a full investigation to identify and punish those responsible. He noted that the captain could be subject to up to three years in prison if found negligent and that the vessel’s owners could be liable for a fine exceeding $5 million.
The vessel is the Shen Neng 1, which ran aground at Saturday at full speed near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Bob Brown, the leader of the Greens Party has accused the prominent political parties of not protecting Australia’s environment. Mr. Brown said in a statement afterward that the vessel was “an environmental time bomb.” He compared it to a threat of terrorism, saying that from the air, “it’s like looking down on an unclaimed bag in a subway.”
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