Mystery Barge Rouses Suspicions

Coast Guard treating St. Clair River search as 'potential terrorism'

December 30, 2003

American and Canadian authorities were investigating reports of a barge and a large number of 55-gallon drums lashed together adrift in the St. Clair River late Monday night.

Several Coast Guard marine broadcast said reports had been received of people possibly in the water.

A 41-foot Coast Guard utility boat from the Port Huron station and a helicopter from the Coast Guard air station at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township still were searching the river near Marine City and Algonac at midnight.

Lt. Greg Fondran of the Coast Guard's 9th District headquarters in Cleveland said the reports were being treated as potential terrorism because of the proximity of the power plants along the river.

"We don't have any real indication of a threat," Fondran said.

Coast Guard personnel also were sent to Detroit Edison's St. Clair Power Plant in East China Township to investigate.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Ontario Provincial Police also were assisting in the search, Fondran said.

Fondran said 15 to 20 drums lashed together were seen floating near the St. Clair power plant.

Someone previously reported a barge adrift near Algonac.

Fondran said there was a possible link between the barrels and barge. The contents of the barrels were unknown.

"We don't know what's in them," Fondran said. He had no other details Monday night.

http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/stories/20031230/localnews/134628.html