Coast Guard: No Active Discharge Near Reported Oil Spill Sites in Gulf of Mexico
Following reports of oil spills found along the Southeast Louisiana coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday it had conducted overflights Sunday that focused on two locations previously identified for further investigation."Members of the National Strike Force aboard a Coast Guard HC-144 flew over Bay Marchand, south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, and the Enterprise Offshore Drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, in a continued effort to track and monitor any threats they may pose to the environment," the U.S.
Search Called Off for Two Missing After Ship Collision
Responders have called off a search for two fisherman missing following a fatal ship collision near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday.One crew member has been rescued, one is deceased and two remain missing at the conclusion of a three-day search involving the Coast Guard and local responders that covered more than 49 square miles by aerial flights, shore patrols and maritime searches.“It is never an easy decision to suspend a search," said Cmdr. Jordan Baldueza, Sector Houston-Galveston search and rescue mission coordinator.
Traffic Restrictions Lifted on Mississippi River
The safety zone and traffic restrictions in place from markers 936 to 938 on the Mississippi River following a towboat collision and subsequent oil spill have been lifted, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. A section of the lower Mississippi River was closed to all traffic except response vessels last week after two towboats collided Wednesday at Mississippi River mile marker 937, rupturing the cargo tank of a barge carrying slurry oil which discharged approximately 150,000 gallons of oil into the river.
Oil Sheen Seen Near Shell Gulf of Mexico Rig
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.
Bow Mariner Salvage Operation Ends
The operation to locate and recover the missing crew from the Bow Mariner and remove fuel oil ended Friday, March 26, with the approval of the Coast Guard. The salvage effort was called off after a comprehensive search using a sophisticated ROV (remotely operated vehicle), an analysis of high-resolution video images and evaluating extensive soundings of the sunken vessel's fuel tanks. "We are saddened because we did not locate any of the 18 missing seamen," said a joint statement by Ceres and Odfjell, respectively the managers and owners of the Bow Mariner. Salvage experts retained by Ceres and Odfjell presented the results of their findings to Coast Guard officers at Norfolk's Marine Safety Office Friday.
