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National Response Center News

04 Oct 2023

Close Call: US Coast Guard Rescues 12 as Bonnie G Ro-Ro Ship Runs Aground

Credit: USCG

A U.S. Coast Guard boat crew rescued 12 people, Wednesday morning, after they were forced to abandon the Bonnie G vessel that was taking on water and ran aground just south of the airport in St. Thomas.All 12 people aboard the Bonnie G, a 195-foot Vanuatu-flagged “ro-ro” cargo vessel, are safe, and no injuries have been reported to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received VHF marine radio communication from the Bonnie G at 3:41 a.m., Wednesday, reporting…

05 Jan 2023

ATB Tug Partially Sinks in Port Milwaukee

(Photo: U.S. Coast Gard)

Multiple agencies are responding to prevent any potential environmental damages after a tug partially sank at its moorings on the Kinnickinnic River in Port Milwaukee.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Lake Michigan were notified by the National Response Center at 11:27 a.m. on Monday that the vessel Michigan, part of an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit, began taking on water and partially sank in 26 feet of water.Photos shared by the Coast Guard earlier this week show the stern of the 115-foot-long tug submerged while its bow remains above the waterline…

05 Dec 2022

Coast Guard Monitoring Oil Discharge from Scuttled Liberty Ship

A seasonal oil sheen on Aug. 29, 2022, near Destin, Fla. Coast Guard and Florida Department of Environmental Protection have been monitoring periodic oil discharge from Liberty Ship Thomas Heyward. (Photo: Joshua Ronkowski / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are monitoring periodic discharges of oil from the Liberty Ship Thomas Heyward, a World War II era vessel sunk in 1977 to serve as an artificial reef approximately six miles southwest of Destin, Fla.Following Hurricane Sally in September 2020, the National Response Center (NRC) began receiving reports of pollution in the vicinity of the artificial reef. Coast Guard personnel conducted preliminary investigations…

09 Aug 2022

Oil Tank Platform Collapses, Oil Spills in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana

(U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)

The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to an oil spill after an oil tank platform collapsed at the Hilcorp Caillou Island facility in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana, on Monday.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Houma personnel initially received a notification from the National Response Center stating the platform experienced a structural failure causing a tank to fall into the water and spill the oil. Environmental Safety & Health Consulting Services has been hired as the oil spill removal organization.

14 Mar 2022

Update: Valaris Drillship Collides with Bulk Carrier in Pascagoula, Mississippi

A drillship sits up against a bulk carrier vessel March 12, 2022, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The vessels collided when the mobile drilling unit vessel broke free of its moorings due to high winds. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo by Coast Guard Sector Mobile)

A Valaris drillship hit the Akti bulk carrier ship on Saturday, after breaking free its moorings near the VT Halter Shipyards and Chevron docks in Pascagoula,  Mississippi. At around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a report from the National Response Center of a collision between two vessels. Per the Coast Guard, Valaris' a 752-foot drillship, reportedly broke free of its moorings due to high winds and collided with the Akti bulk carrier. According to photos shared by the Coast Guard…

18 Oct 2021

Despite Preparation, California Pipeline Operator May Have Taken Hours to Stop Offshore Leak

 Crude oil is shown in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Orange County, Oct. 3, 2021.  U.S. Coast Guard photo (Cropped)

The company that operates the pipeline that spilled an estimated 3,000 barrels of oil into the Pacific Ocean off California has an 800-page manual on handling an oil spill - but it is unclear whether its employees followed those procedures.Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp and several state and federal regulatory agencies have provided differing accounts of what happened on Oct. 2, when the pipeline spill that fouled beaches, killed wildlife, and closed down fishing along miles of coastline was officially reported.The U.S.

01 Jun 2021

Waterways Commerce Cutter: It's Time for an Upgrade

USCGC Smilax is an inland construction tender commissioned in 1944. Smilax is the “Queen of the Fleet”, as the oldest commissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutter. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

In the last week of April, with little fanfare, the U.S. Coast Guard released a much-anticipated opportunity to build up to 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters. After the detailed design and construction contract is awarded in Spring of 2022, a lucky shipbuilder will begin replacing the Coast Guard’s eclectic fleet of 18 venerable river buoy tenders (WLR) and 13 inland construction tenders (WLIC).The Coast Guard’s inland waterways maintenance fleet has been ignored for far too long.

21 Apr 2021

Tug and Barge Strike Dock in Puerto Rico

The tug boat Don Jaime and the deck barge Marilin H at the Ensenada Honda docking pier in Culebra, Puerto Rico on April 21, 2021. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A U.S.-flagged tug and deck barge reportedly struck a pier and grounded while conducting docking maneuvers at the Ensenada Honda auxiliary cargo dock in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday.The tugboat Don Jaime and barge Marilin H have been refloated, and there are no reports of injuries, oil discharge or sheening in the surrounding waters, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, whose inspectors are on scene to investigate the marine casualty incident.“We are looking to identify…

28 Dec 2020

Coast Guard Vessel Spills Oil in Womens Bay, Alaska

(File Photo) The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Marcus Trapp.

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Saturday it was responding to a report of a discharge of hydraulic oil from Coast Guard Cutter SPAR in Womens Bay, Kodiak, Alaska.Coast Guard said it was monitoring the cleanup which has been contracted to Choctaw Defense Services (CDS). Personnel on scene deployed boom systems, absorbent pads, and a skimmer that is pumping to a vac truck.Watchstanders at the Sector Anchorage Command Center received notification from the National Response Center at 9:40 a.m., that the crew of the cutter SPAR reported a hydraulic oil discharge.

29 Sep 2020

Containership with Cracked Hull Leaking Fuel Oil in Bayonne, NJ

A containership with a visible crack in its hull is leaking fuel oil at the Global Container Terminal in Bayonne, N.J., the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.A unified command team consisting of the Coast Guard, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Gallagher Marine Systems is responding after the National Response Center contacted Coast Guard Sector New York watchstanders, Monday, reporting a sheen near the Liberian-flagged vessel YM Mandate.A nearby Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) New York boat crew reported a small crack in the ship’s hull which was leaking fuel oil. Coast Guard investigators confirmed the leak.The 300 meter long…

09 Aug 2019

MSCI Advisory Strait of Hormuz Precautions

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.

14 Jul 2019

Maritime Cyber Alert

© Oleksii/Adobe Stock

For some years now, the maritime sector has experienced breaches of various computer and information technology (IT) systems. Primarily, these breaches have been collateral damage. The maritime sector has almost never been the intended target. That does not mean that the damage has been minor. In June 2017, A.P. Moller-Maersk suffered a major cyber-attack. The malware had been designed by Russian hackers to disrupt the Ukrainian power sector. Once released, though, it proved to be indiscriminate, infecting IT systems worldwide that had not been kept up to date. In the case of A.P.

01 Jul 2019

MSCI Advisory: Regional Conflict and Piracy

Logo: MARAD

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.

25 Feb 2019

CG Continues Response to Sheen From Container Ship

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Dustin Widman

The Coast Guard continues to respond Friday to a sheen reported from a container ship moored at the Matson Terminal in Oakland.Crewmembers aboard the Matsonia, a 713-foot U.S.-flagged container ship, noticed a sheen around their ship around 8 a.m. Thursday shortly after mooring, which was believed to have originated from the vessel.The Matsonia crew initiated the ship's vessel response plan, notified the Coast Guard and the National Response Center of the sheen and placed containment…

10 Dec 2018

Crude Oil Spill Near Port Sulphur, La.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday it is responding to a crude oil discharge in Rattle Snake Bayou, southwest of Port Sulphur, La.Coast Guard watchstanders in New Orleans received a report from the National Response Center that the well was reported to be leaking.It is unknown when the discharge began, and the amount discharged has not been determined. The well is rated to produce 5,476 gallons of oil per day.Responders are working to locate and secure the source of the discharge. The well's owner Hilcorp has contracted ES&H as an oil spill response organization.

05 Jan 2018

Oil Spill Reported in Mississippi River

Eight vessels with a combination of skimming packages, boom and absorbents have been deployed in response to an oil spill on the Mississippi River near Gramercy, La. The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report Thursday morning from the National Response Center of stating oil was discharged from Petroleum Fuel and Terminal Mt. Airy during a transfer from the facility to a barge at mile marker 144.6 on the Mississippi River. Officials estimate that 2,500 gallons has been spilled. The Coast Guard conducted two overflights and deployed multiple teams to assess impacts. Oil spill response organizations OMI Environmental Solutions and Environmental Safety and Health are also responding, while the Center for Toxicology & Environmental Health LLC is conducting air monitoring.

25 Oct 2017

Minor Lube Oil Discharge in Baltimore

U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland Department of the Environment personnel are investigating and overseeing cleanup of a lube oil discharge near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Monday.   A National Response Center report was made Friday about a rainbow sheen in the harbor near Pier 6, which alerted Coast Guard and MDE pollution response personnel to investigate.   It is estimated that approximately 50 gallons of lube oil has discharged into the harbor through the Jones Falls outfall near the 2100 block of Falls Road. Hard boom and sorbent materials have been deployed and contractors are on scene recovering the product.   The source of the oil and responsible party have not yet been identified. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is being used to pay for response efforts.

19 Feb 2016

Bulk Carrier Spills Fuel near Kalama, Wash.

Nord Auckland with bunker oil spilled down the vessel’s hull while anchored near Kalama, Wash., Feb. 18, 2016. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by William Russell)

Pollution cleanup efforts are underway after sheening was reported around the bulk carrier Nord Auckland anchored near Kalama, Thursday. The 610-foot Singapore-flagged vessel reportedly released bunker oil due to operator error that was intended to be burned in the incinerator, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Overseeing the response efforts are personnel from the Washington Department of Ecology and the Coast Guard, who said the responsible party has contracted Clean Rivers Cooperative to handle cleanup operations. Two booming vessels are on scene with crews engaged in cleanup operations.

15 Jun 2017

A Legal Approach to Marine Casualty Response

© mscornelius / Adobe Stock

Maritime attorney David Russo provides a valuable primer for maritime stakeholders faced with a marine casualty. Because it isn’t a question of if, it is a question of when. Will you be ready? When there is a marine incident, the vessel owner/operator has two risks of exposure: to both civil and criminal liability. These risks can arise from a number of variables, including but not limited to (a.) a pollution event, (b.) a death or injury, (c.) unseaworthy vessels (including inadequate crew or procedures)…

27 Jun 2016

Chemical Tanker Runs Aground off Alaska

A 599-foot Norway flagged chemical tanker Champion Ebony ran aground near Nunivak Island, Alaska on June 24. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received a report from the National Response Center that the vessel ran aground carrying approximately 14.2 million gallons of various fuel products. The captain of Champion Ebony reported that no pollution or injuries resulted from the incident. An Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules airplane crew conducted an over-flight of the tanker and reported no signs of pollution in the vicinity of the tanker. The Champion Ebony is a double-hulled vessel that had 24 crewmembers aboard at the time of the incident.

26 Oct 2015

USCG Guidance and Reporting Marine Casualties

Jeanne Grasso

U.S. Coast Guard Guidance Helps to Bring some Clarity to the Debate. In July 2015, the U.S. Coast Guard released Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 01-15 (“NVIC”), titled Marine Casualty Reporting Procedures Guide with Associated Standard Interpretations. The purpose of the NVIC is to assist vessel owners and operators in understanding the marine casualty reporting requirements, which many in the industry think are about as clear as mud. Confusion as to what constitutes a marine casualty and what incidents need to be reported has persisted in the marine industry for years.

30 Oct 2015

Oil Spills into Potomac River near D.C. Airport

Aerial view of the oil spill near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Oct. 30, 2015. A safety zone was established with a 1,500-yard radius from source of the spill. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Nicholas Rodriguez)

An estimated 7,500 to 9,000 gallons of Jet A aviation fuel has spilled within Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and into the Potomac River, Friday. A Unified Command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard; Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority personnel, including Airport Operations and Fire and Rescue; D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and D.C. Harbor Patrol has been established and is responding to the spill. Airport operations have not been impacted.

07 Dec 2015

USCG Responds to Pollution from Sunken Vessel

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.