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.
Coast Guard Rescue Underway in Antarctica
A U.S. Coast Guard crew is en route to assist a 207-foot fishing vessel with 26 people aboard beset in ice approximately 900 miles northeast of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is attempting to reach the crew of an Australian-flagged fishing vessel, Antarctic Chieftain, who contacted Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand Tuesday evening for assistance after becoming trapped in the Antarctic ice. The crew of 40-year-old cutter has reported heavy, snow, wind and ice conditions at times as well as large icebergs along their course.
Ship Collision in English Channel
An oil tanker and a cargo ship collided in the English Channel on Thursday, www.hindu.com reported. No injuries or oil spill were reported. The collision occurred at 7:15 a.m. (GMT) six miles off the French coast and involved the Norwegian cargo vessel Starhurdla, and the oil tanker Cape Bradley, which is registered in the Marshall Islands. England's Dover Coastguard was called in to assist in a French-led operation as the crew of the Starhurdla reported taking on water. A Coast Guard tug boat operated by French and British authorities was used to tow the Starhurdla to Boulogne, France. The Cape Bradley sustained minor damage and was sailing under its own steam to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Ship Owner Sentenced for Failure to Report Oil Spill
Dolbey Marine Inc., of Salisbury, Md., was sentenced in the Federal District Court of Baltimore to a felony charge of failure to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of an oil spill. The sentence included a fine of $7500 and 3 years probation. Charles Dolbey Jr., owner of Dolbey Marine Inc., was also sentenced to 6 months home detention with work release and fined $3000 for a misdemeanor charge of negligent discharge of oil into U.S. waters. The sentencing was a result of two plea agreements between the U.S. Attorney, Dolbey Marine Inc., and Dolbey from an oil spill that occurred in Salisbury on October 19, 1999. Coast Guard Activities Baltimore Pollution Investigators responded to a reported oil spill on the Wicomico River in Salisbury.
