Marad: All Safe After Gas Leak Evacuation
On Sunday evening, a gas leak was discovered in a hot water system servicing Barry and Jones Halls at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Midshipmen and staff on duty immediately evacuated Barry and Jones Halls, which share mechanical systems, and two adjacent barracks. Emergency responders transported thirty-nine midshipmen to local hospitals for evaluation, however no one was admitted. The barracks buildings were ventilated, and a hazardous materials team from the Nassau County Police Department tested the air in the barracks to ensure it was free of carbon monoxide, and that the buildings were safe to reoccupy. Midshipmen were permitted to return to their rooms by approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday evening.
Salvage Company to Move Grounded Barge
The 580-ft barge La Princesa remains aground north of Sandbridge Pier in Virginia Beach. Titan Maritime, LLC, continues preparations for salvaging the vessel and will attempt to begin operations when weather and sea conditions permit. Members of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Strike Team, the Virginia Port Authority’s Maritime Incident Response Team, the Virginia Beach Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team and Crowley Maritime Corporation, the barge’s owner and operator, boarded the vessel earlier today to inspect the cargo for leaks and the vessel for structural integrity. As a result of the inspection, the Coast Guard, MIRT, the Virginia Beach HazMat team and Crowley determined that the barge and its cargo currently pose no foreseeable threat to the environment or to the community.
ABS Strengthens Materials Capabilities
Responding to the introduction of new materials within the structure and components of offshore units, naval vessels and specialized ships such as ultra large containerships, ABS has strengthened its technical and engineering capabilities in this area with the appointment of a global materials engineering team. The team will also provide in-field support to the society’s surveyors attending the significant growth in the number of equipment suppliers. Led by ABS veteran Michael Wheatcroft…
Oil Spill off Staten Island
As many as 30,786 gallons of heavy fuel oil spilled into the Arthur Kill on Monday during a transfer from a barge to the Chevron plant here, Newsday reported. The spill stretched from the Chevron facility to Smoking Point in Staten Island, and the U.S. Coast Guard and spill response companies had set up boom boats to contain it. The worst case scenario was that 733 42-gallon barrels of oil, equaling 30,786 gallons, got into the waterway. The New York City of Department of Environmental Protection said that a hazardous materials team the agency sent to monitor the Staten Island shoreline had reported that a small amount of oil came aground near the Outerbridge Crossing. The cause of the spill was being investigated by the Coast Guard.
