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01/20/97
Finding of cause still months away
Why did the tug Scandia catch on fire? Why wasn't the crew able to put the fire out? Why couldn't they lower the North Cape's anchor?
Why, in short, did the accident that triggered Rhode Island's worst oil spill happen?
These are some of the questions being explored by the National Transportation Safety Board, which has been investigating the Jan. 19, 1996, accident for the past 12 months.
There are no answers yet and, according to NTSB spokeswoman Shelly Hazle, there won't be for awhile.
"They're still working on the factual phase of the report," Hazle said.
That's the first phase. After that, there's an assessment phase and numerous other steps to go through before the investigation is complete. It could be another year before the inquiry is finished, Hazle said.
The goal of the NTSB is to establish a probable cause for the accident. The board will also make any safety recommendations it feels are necessary based on its findings, Hazle said.
The NTSB isn't the only agency still investigating the North Cape Spill. In Rhode Island, a joint investigation by the U.S. attorney and the attorney general has been under way for the past year. It's a civil -- and criminal -- investigation.
"There's a criminal aspect of this entire matter," Atty. Gen. Jeffrey B. Pine said last week, but he declined to elaborate.
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