What makes the Esplanade / Governor Nicholls Wharf site especially dangerous for boat traffic?
The Governor Nicholls and Esplanade Wharfs reside on an especially dangerous section of the river, near turns at Algiers Point. This section of waterway has long been regarded as one of the most difficult to navigate. This is the same stretch of hard-to-navigate waterway as where the Bright Field crashed in 1996. Increasing the number of ships that have to navigate this section, along with the inclusion of toxic chemicals within the wharf structure, add to the possible dangers of a ship impacting the wharf and causing an anhydrous ammonia release from the refrigeration equipment.
