Coast Guard National Response Center News

This revised advisory cancels U.S. Maritime Advisories 2019-004 and 2019-008.1. References: U.S. Maritime Alerts 2019-004A, 2019-003A, 2019-002A, and 2019-001A.2. Issue: Heightened military activity and increased political tensions in this region continue to pose serious threats to commercial vessels. Associated with these threats is a potential for miscalculation or misidentification that could lead to aggressive actions. Vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman may also encounter GPS interference, bridge-to-bridge communications spoofing, and/or other communications jamming with little to no warning.Since May 2019, the following maritime incidents have occurred in this region:Six attacks against commercial vessels (see U.S.

2019-007-Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Indian Ocean-Violence Due to Regional Conflict and PiracyDescription:This revised advisory cancels U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-0151. References: (a) U.S. Maritime Alerts 2018-001A, 2018-002A, 2018-002B, 2018-005A, and 2018-007A2. Issues: Regional conflict and piracy threats continue to pose potential risks to commercial vessels operating in the above listed geographic areas.3. Conflict in Yemen continues to pose potential risk to U.S.

Coast Guard, National Response Center and Washington State Department of Ecology personnel responded to oil pollution from a sunken 67-foot commercial vessel at Westhaven Marina near Grays Harbor, Wash., Sunday. Responders from the Coast Guard Incident Management Division in Astoria will arrive on scene Monday morning and will be working with partner agencies to monitor the situation and oversee the cleanup. After receiving a report of a possible sinking vessel at Westhaven Marina at approximately 12:40 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Columbia River watchstanders launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor to assess the situation. The commercial fishing vessel Persistence was found submerged at the pier, and a rainbow sheen was observed on the water.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said it is investigating a sewage discharge from one of its vessels, the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau, at Coast Guard Base Sand Island, Tuesday. According to the USCG, at approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau reported the smell of sewage to the Engineer of the Watch. The Engineer of the Watch went to the side of the ship and observed brown water flowing overboard through the sewage discharge port intended for use only at sea and immediately secured the system.

The Coast Guard is investigating the report of a rainbow sheen, approximately 56 miles offshore Venice in the Gulf of Mexico. Watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center received notification from Shell Oil Co., that a rainbow sheen one mile by 10 miles in length was spotted near the Mississippi Canyon Block 807. The Captain of the Port Morgan City Coastguard, Capt. Jonathan Burton, issued a Notice of Federal Interest to Shell Offshore. The source of the sheen and the responsible party are unknown at this time. Pollution investigators from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans conducted an overflight, aboard a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65C Dolphin helicopter. “We are treating this very seriously, as we do all reports of possible pollution.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads is responding to a report of a diesel fuel spill from the tank barge VB 53 on the upper James River below Richmond. The spill was reported to the Coast Guard National Response Center at 11:41 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2005. The barge was being pushed south on the James River in an area known as Kingsland Reach, about 2 miles northwest of the Interstate 295 bridge, when it sustained damage to two cargo tanks. The barge is presently aground and has a port list. The owners have submitted a lightering and salvage plan to the Coast Guard for approval. The amount of diesel fuel spilled has not been determined. The barge is surrounded by oil containment boom and other booms have been deployed upstream and downstream to limit the spread of the oil.

Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) 91104, one of the Coast Guard’s units that specialize in waterborne security, deployed today to Memphis, Tenn. MSST 91104, from Houston-Galveston, is in the Memphis area to train local Coast Guard men and women, active and reserve, in law enforcement and security measures as well as conduct safety and security patrols of ports and waterways. Boaters and mariners can expect to see more Coast Guard boats on the water and should be prepared to show picture identification and may be questioned about their activity. Boaters should listen to their marine radios for up-to-date security or safety zone information.