It once contained radioactive material and is now sitting off the waters of Belcarra, but the saga of the MCP Altona may soon be coming to an end.

The ship has been at the centre of controversy dating back to late last year, when a load of uranium concentrate commonly referred to as yellowcake spilled on board during an accident between Hawaii and the Midway Islands.

Ordered back to B.C. waters after the spill, the ship has been sitting off the waters of Belcarra Regional Park for nearly six months, according to some Belcarra residents who contacted The NOW with concerns around the potential impact on the local environment.

That holding pattern was due in large part to a legal dispute between the Saskatchewan-based company that produced the cargo, Cameco Corp., the ship's owners and other companies linked to the transport.

Cameco was seeking about $19 million to recoup its losses from last year's accident and was waiting for the ship to be bought. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Once the sale is completed, the boat can be moved from its current location.

But in an interview this week, a shipbroker tasked with overseeing the sale of the vessel confirmed to The NOW that the Altona has been sold and would be moved from local waters "shortly."

When asked for more specifics, Compass Marine Services general manager Dave Hill declined to speak further. "She will be moving shortly," Hill said.

Although he couldn't confirm a specific day for the ship's move, Port Metro Vancouver harbour master Yoss Leclerc said only "paperwork and a change of ownership" was required. He could not provide details on the ship's purchaser or the purchase price.

"I think for everyone, the sooner [it leaves] the better, because every day [it remains in Indian Arm] is money that is lost," Leclerc said. "The crew is on board. They're all well, they're all healthy and happy. They get their paycheque and there is food on board. They are just waiting to change the paperwork and to leave."

When asked for comment, Belcarra Mayor Ralph Drew said he had few, if any, problems with the ship's location or its contents.

"I'm not concerned about it," he said. "If it's just a spill of yellowcake in the vessel itself, then there isn't any risk to the surrounding population. But it does mean that it's something to clean up. Of far more concern would be ships pumping bilge water with oil over the side of it."

Altona's problems began in December 2010, when Cameco packed up 350 tonnes of uranium concentrate at its plant in Saskatchewan.

The company put the radioactive powder into 840 drums, which it then packed into shipping containers for transport. The cargo was sent to Vancouver and loaded onto the Altona for shipment to China, where it would be processed into nuclear fuel. The ship set sail on Christmas Eve.

Somewhere between Hawaii and the Midway Islands, the vessel hit rough weather, and some of the cargo fell over. An unspecified amount of the powder burst out of the drums and into the cargo hold. The crew discovered the mishap several days later.

The ship initially tried to stop at Honolulu, but was prevented by the U.S. Coast Guard, which raised con-cerns over the hazardous material. The ship returned to B.C. and anchored at Ladysmith. Late in January, it was moved to the Ballantyne docks in the Port of Vancouver, where Cameco and the authorities oversaw the cleanup.

The yellowcake was packed up and sent back to Saskatchewan and the ship was cleaned. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Transport Canada declared the Altona clean and safe in early May. It was moved to Indian Arm as the legal battles got underway.

"There is no risk, there is no issue," Leclerc said. "The ship has been inspected by Transport Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and there's no risk whatsoever."

jkurucz@thenownews.com