'Catastrophic' California Offshore Oil Spill Kills Fish, Damages Wetlands
A large oil spill off the southern California coast left fish dead, birds mired in petroleum and wetlands contaminated, prompting local officials to call it an environmental catastrophe.The U.S. Coast Guard, heading a clean-up response involving federal, state, and city agencies, said on Sunday there was an around-the-clock investigation into how the spill occurred.An estimated 126,000 gallons, or 3,000 barrels, had spread into an oil slick covering about 13 square miles of the Pacific Ocean since it was first reported on Saturday morning…
OMSA Reports Alleged Jones Act Violation in the US Gulf of Mexico
A new report from a U.S. offshore services trade group details alleged Jones Act violations by a foreign-flagged vessel in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.The Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA), which recently launched its Jones Act Enforcer program to document and report violations of the U.S. law requiring seaborne cargo shipped between two U.S. points to be carried by American-built, crewed, and owned vessels, said it received a tip from an industry stakeholder that Louisiana-based Triton Offshore had posted photos on social media showing its Chinese-built…
DA, Coast Guard announce HAL Plea Agreement
Coast Guard 17th District Commander Rear Adm. James Olson, left, and Timothy Burgess, United States Attorney for the District of Alaska announced that HAL Maritime Ltd, an operating company of Holland America Line, agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges arising from the negligent discharge of 20,000 gallons of untreated sewage into Juneau harbor from the cruise ship Ryndam Aug. 17, 2002. (Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Thomas McKenzie)
Coast Guard Cutter Enters Service
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire is welcomed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin by its crew in Bellingham, Wash., after the Terrapin officially entered service. During the ceremony Gov. Gregoire became the Terrapin's sponsor and will serve as a civilian advocate for the cutter and its crew. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mike Zolzer.
