Authorities are evaluating how to drain the Costa Concordia shipwreck of 230,000 cubic meters of water, which may be contaminated with hydrocarbons, heavy metals and decomposed food, authorities said Friday.

Prosecutors in Grosseto have ended their investigation into the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster leaving defense attorneys for the accused 20 days to deposit their replies. Schettino and nine other crew members are accused of manslaughter for the death of 32 people after the Costa Concordia cruise liner ran aground off the Giglio Island.

In a letter addressed to Costa Co-Chief Executives Pierluigi Foschi and Michael Thamm, as well as to the head of Italy’s civil protection agency, Franco Gabrielli, and to the president of the Tuscany Region, Enrico Rossi, Minister Corrado Clini said it was ”urgent” that a working program be developed for the last phase of the stranded ship’s removal and the recovery of the hull in ”an ideal location”.

Francesco Schettino, the captain of the cruise liner Costa Concordia that ran aground on a Tuscan island in January killing 32 people, appeared in court Monday as hearings to decide whether to indict him and others for the shipwreck began. The judge who oversaw preliminary investigations, Valeria Montesarchio, will preside over hearings.

The captain of the cruise liner Costa Concordia that ran aground on a Tuscan island in January killing 32 people was fired in July, the Costa Crociere company said Wednesday, confirming a press report. Schettino apologised in July for being “distracted” on the night of Italy’s worst maritime disaster since World War II.

The crew of the cruise liner Costa Concordia was awarded the title of ‘Seafarer of the year’ in the Lloyd’s List Global awards 2012. ”Captain Francesco Schettino was delighted to know that his crew was awarded the prize ‘for the courage and professional skills’ shown during the Costa Concordia shipwreck, off the shores of Giglio Island”, a statement of the law firm defending Schettino.

Cleaning up the half-sunken Costa Concordia cruise liner off the coast of Giglio island is going according to plan, according to supervisors from the region of Tuscany on Tuesday. ”Results of the program have been satisfactory,” said Tuscan regional cabinet member Maria Sargentini.

The cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. Since that day the operations to remove fuel will end tomorrow evening. It was announced today by the mayor of the island of Giglio, Sergio Ortelli, who is in Florence to take part in a press conference aimed at promoting tourism in the island.

The Ministry of Environment and Greenpeace are far from agreed on the data on water pollution to the island of Giglio where Costa Concordia wrecked last January 13. Greenpeace has warned that chemicals from a cruise ship wreck were oozing into the sea around Italy’s picturesque Giglio Island but the environment ministry said the levels were not significant.

The Italian region of Tuscany invites tourists to visit the shipwrck island of Costa Concordia, Isola del Giglio. “We will ensure that the island of Giglio is favoured in our campaigns but the main promotion is for everyone to make a gesture of love by going to Giglio,” said Cristina Scaletti, head of Tuscany’s tourism department.