Incident Responses for July 2018
Every month our Emergency Response Division
provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on
everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill
may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries, and estimates
on how long the oil may stay in the environment.
This month OR&R responded to 20 incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and hazardous material releases.
Here are some of July’s notable incidents:
Fuel Release on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska
On July 13, 2018 the U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a
fuel spill in Gambell, Alaska. The amount releases was potentially
2,000 to 2,600 gallons of diesel or home heating oil. OR&R’s
scientific support coordinator for the region was requested to discuss
site characterization and potential spill response options.
Fishing Vessel Capsized in Nushagak Bay in Alaska
On July 25, 2018 the U.S. Coast Guard sector in Anchorage
reported that a fishing vessel had capsized in Nushagak Bay,
approximately 11 miles south of Dillingham, Alaska. The vessel, FV Pacific Knight,
was reported to have 800 gallons of diesel and 300 gallons of hydraulic
oil onboard at the time it went down. A sheen was observed on the
water.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency fishing
closure due to the 10 mile rainbow sheen that was observed during an
overflight. Commercial fishing reopened on July 31.A missing crew member has still not been located at this time. The cause of incident is still under investigation.
Fishing Vessel Sank in Alaska
On July 26, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez reported that a fishing vessel sank near Cordova, Alaska. FV O’letta
sank in 32 feet of water with an estimated 15,000 pounds of salmon on
board. The vessel had an estimated 600 gallons of diesel on board. An
oil sheen was observed and boom was deployed around the vessel.
The U.S. Coast Guard requested a report on the resources at risk
in the area. The vessel was refloated and towed to Cordova. The
majority of the oil and other fluids on board were recovered, and the
sheen around the vessel was too thin to be skimmed.Here is the complete list of last month’s incidents, click on the links to find out more:
- Broken up vessel "Dickey Byrd"
- Abandon Building Discharge Port Huron, MI
- SEAPORT CANAVERAL NORTH CARGO PIER 1B
- F/V LEONA Sinking
- Grounded Longliner SEA GODDESS
- MAERSK SHANGHAI Marine Debris
- Vermillion Block 228 Discharge
- Hilcorp Pipeline Leak
- Gambell Fuel Release
- Sinking Fishing Vessel, LA
- Mystery Plume in Lake Michigan
- Subsea Ethylene Glycol release
- Romere Pass Crude Oil Spill
- Tug Sea Cypress Grounding
- Submerged Pipe Release, Huron, OH
- FV Pacific Knight
- FV O'letta
- Vessel MAKALII, Niihau, HI
- Fieldwood Energy Platform Mystery Sheen
- NESDIS Mystery Sheen GOM