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National Strike Force News

09 Jun 2022

US Oil Spill Testing, Response Facility Gets Major Upgrade

A crane replaces a bridge over the Ohmsett Oil Spill Response & Renewable Energy Test facility during refurbishment in spring 2022. (Photo: BSEE)

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility, known as Ohmsett, has now reopened after undergoing significant refurbishment over the past eight months as part of BSEE’s ongoing maintenance plan. Originally constructed and operated by the U.S. EPA in 1974, the facility was passed to the U.S. Navy and then to the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service in 1990. Today, it is the only facility in the U.S. conducting full-scale oil spill response research, equipment testing and training using live oil.

06 Sep 2021

Coast Guard: No Active Discharge Near Reported Oil Spill Sites in Gulf of Mexico

A Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew conducts an overflight assessment Sept. 5, 2021 of the Bay Marchand approximately 2 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The crew witnessed an 11-mile rainbow sheen that the Coast Guard is actively monitoring. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile)

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.

19 Oct 2017

Arctic Research Explores the ‘Roomba’ Approach

The pace and quality of oil spill research in the United States typically ebbs and flows as a function of two, if not three important variables. First, after the 1989 Exxon Valdez grounding, there was a flurry of activity to ramp up oil spill research because it had been dormant for so long. The need was recognized, with plenty of money made available. Primarily, this research centered on conventional spill remediation techniques – for example, a tanker or barge spilling oil – and not much else. Predictably, when memory of the spill faded, so did interest in research and funding followed.

19 Jun 2014

CLIA Appoints Kim Hall Operational & Security Director

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says that Hall brings maritime and piracy analytic experience to the association. For the past three and a half years, Hall was Senior Analyst with the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute (HSSAI), supporting DHS S&T, USCG Headquarters, USCG Atlantic Area, and the National Strike Force Coordination Center. CLIA adds that Hall specializes in maritime security. Prior to HSSAI, she was a research analyst in the Center for Naval Analyses' (CNA) Strategic Initiatives Group focusing on threats and issues pertaining to the global commons. While at CNA, she was the CNA field representative to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S.

18 Jun 2014

CG Units To Participate In Coastal Trident 2014

The Coast Guard is scheduled to participate in training exercises Thursday, in the vicinity of Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) San Diego 91109 will partner with U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection, Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) as participants in the Center for Asymmetric Warfare exercise Coastal Trident 2014. The Pacific Strike Team (PST) and National Guard 9th Civil Support Team will practice first aid and decontamination capabilities. MSST San Diego was created under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 in direct response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and is a part of the Department of Homeland Security’s layered strategy directed at protecting seaports and waterways.

16 Sep 2013

Post Spill: Analyzing the Water in Honolulu Harbor

Coast Guard National Strike Force samples water in Honolulu Harbor

Representatives from the Coast Guard National Strike Force, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted water sampling as part of a joint effort to analyze the effects of the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor Sunday. The combined team departed Coast Guard Station Honolulu Sunday morning aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium. The National Strike Force crewmembers from the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Strike…

16 Sep 2013

USCG Responds to Honolulu Harbor Molasses Spill

Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received an official request from the Hawaii Department of Health to assist with the response to the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor Friday. “The Coast Guard is prepared to bring all the requested resources to this incident to support our state and local partner agencies” said Capt. Shannon Gilreath, captain of the port Honolulu. “We have been working closely with state partners since the spill occurred to offer advice and resources. The Coast Guard began supporting the response Monday morning when investigators from Sector Honolulu responded to a report of discolored water in the harbor. Since then, the Coast Guard has held daily meetings with the lead State agency, Hawaii Department of Health.

15 Sep 2013

Honolulu Harbor Molasses Spill: Coast Guard Assist

State officials in Hawaii consider there's little they can do to clean up a 223,000-gallon molasses spill that has killed thousands of fish, as swimmers, surfers and snorkelers were being warned that the massive die-off could attract sharks. A cracked pipe on a loading jetty caused the spill, according to NPR. The request for federal assistance allows the Coast Guard to support the lead agency with a wide variety of resources to include specialized response personnel, boats and equipment from the Coast Guard and other Federal Agencies. The captain of the port requested support from the Coast Guard’s National Strike Force for water sampling and monitoring and is currently coordinating with technical specialists from the EPA to help assess additional response mitigation strategies.

03 Feb 2013

Mississippi River Reopens to Towboat Traffic

The Coast Guard has reopened the Mississippi River for both-way traffic following the oil spill near Vicksburg. The Captain of the Port has reduced the safety zone to one mile centered on either side of the two barges with no passing or overtaking within the zone. “The Coast Guard is no longer actively managing the flow of towboat traffic and we are minimizing the safety zone to a one-mile distance to ensure the safety of response crews still working on the MOC-12 barge,” said Capt. William Drelling, Federal On Scene Commander for the Vicksburg oil spill. The light crude oil product in the tank barges MOC-12 and MOC-15 was effectively removed to complete damage assessments and temporary repairs to prepare them for transit to a waiting marine facility.

01 Feb 2013

Coast Guard Response to Vicksburg Spill Continues

The unified command continues to respond to a crude oil spill in the lower Mississippi River near mile marker 436 in Vicksburg, Miss., Thursday. At 10:05 a.m. response crews removed fuel from the damaged barge MOC-12 after reconfiguring oil-pump equipment. Following completion of the oil removal operations the damaged barge will be inspected and prepared for transit to a maritime facility in nearby Vicksburg. The MOC-15 barge has been moved upriver from the MOC-12 oil removal operation and is waiting for transportation to a maritime facility.

29 Mar 2011

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History - March 28

* 1968- The Secretary of Transportation released his Report on Recreational Boat Safety. The report contained a detailed explanation of the proposed legislation and the programs the department intended to undertake if the proposal was adopted. * 1993-A Colonial Pipeline Company pipe ruptured, spilling 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the Sugarland Run creek in Herndon, Virginia. The EPA requested the assistance from the National Strike Force. Other units mobilized for the clean-up operation included a helicopter from AIRSTA Cape May, an air-eye HU-25 from AIRSTA Cape Cod, personnel from MSO Baltimore, the CGC Capstan, and reservists from the region. The strike team used the new DESMI 250 skimmer and pump to control the spill.

24 Jan 2011

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History – January 24

1968- Seifu Maru, a Japanese refrigerator vessel, reported a fire and requested clearance to enter Dutch Harbor, Alaska to combat it. They also reported that two crewmembers had been overcome by smoke and requested their evacuation for hospital treatment. Clearance was granted and CGC Citrus was ordered to proceed and assist in fighting the fire. The burning ship arrived in Dutch Harbor on Jan 24 and advised that the fire was raging between the decks. Fire fighting parties from Citrus began assisting the crew of the Japanese vessel. USCG aircraft evacuated three patients from Seifu Maru to Kodiak for hospitalization. The fire assistance rendered by Citrus in a four-day operation saved the Japanese vessel.

07 Jan 2011

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History – January 7

1877- The French steamer Amerique grounded off Sea Bright, New Jersey. 189 persons were rescued by the USLSS crew, three died. 1947- During Operation HIGHJUMP, Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind successfully completed the first major rescue mission involving a submarine. The USS Sennet (SS-408) and supply ships Yance and Merrick were stuck in ice flow at the Antarctic Circle. 1982- LT Colleen A. Cain, the Coast Guard's first female helicopter pilot, died in the line of duty when the HH-52 CG-1420, on which she was co-pilot, crashed into a mountainside 50 miles east of Honolulu. The pilot, LCDR H. W. Johnson, and aircrewman AD2 D. L. Thompson, were also killed. 1994- The barge Morris J. Berman, carrying a cargo of 750,000 gallons of oil, struck a reef off Puerto Rico.

29 Oct 2010

ENPRO Renews Environmental Services Contract with USCG

ENPRO Services, Inc., a firm specializing in the management of oil and hazardous waste, announced the extension of their long-standing contract to provide environmental services to the United States Coast Guard. The services ENPRO provides to the Coast Guard include containment, mitigation and cleanup of oil and hazardous material spills in New England waterways. ENPRO also holds certifications with the Coast Guard as a pre-qualified Oil Spill Removal Organization (OSRO) and ship-to-shore transfer contractor for the First Coast Guard District, which includes Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont.

07 Jan 2010

This Day in Coast Guard History – Jan. 8

1877- The French steamer Amerique grounded off Sea Bright, New Jersey. 189 persons were rescued by the USLSS crew, three died. 1947- During Operation HIGHJUMP, Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind successfully completed the first major rescue mission involving a submarine. The USS Sennet (SS-408) and supply ships Yance and Merrick were stuck in ice flow at the Antarctic Circle. 1982- LT Colleen A. Cain, the Coast Guard's first female helicopter pilot, died in the line of duty when the HH-52 CG-1420, on which she was co-pilot, crashed into a mountainside 50 miles east of Honolulu. The pilot, LCDR H. W. Johnson, and aircrewman AD2 D. L. Thompson, were also killed. 1994- The barge Morris J. Berman, carrying a cargo of 750,000 gallons of oil, struck a reef off Puerto Rico.

06 Jan 2010

This Day in Coast Guard History – Jan. 7

1877- The French steamer Amerique grounded off Sea Bright, New Jersey. 189 persons were rescued by the USLSS crew, three died. 1947- During Operation HIGHJUMP, Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind successfully completed the first major rescue mission involving a submarine. The USS Sennet (SS-408) and supply ships Yance and Merrick were stuck in ice flow at the Antarctic Circle. 1982- LT Colleen A. Cain, the Coast Guard's first female helicopter pilot, died in the line of duty when the HH-52 CG-1420, on which she was co-pilot, crashed into a mountainside 50 miles east of Honolulu. The pilot, LCDR H. W. Johnson, and aircrewman AD2 D. L. Thompson, were also killed. 1994- The barge Morris J. Berman, carrying a cargo of 750,000 gallons of oil, struck a reef off Puerto Rico.

13 Feb 2009

Coast Guard, Navy Apprehend Pirates

A Miami-based U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment operating as part of Combined Task Force 151 in the Gulf of Aden assisted in the apprehension of 16 suspected pirates in a 24 hour period. The eight-person LEDET 405 team is conducting counter-piracy operations aboard USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) and USS Mahan (DDG 72) as part of a multinational task force in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. "Our role is to augment and train U.S. Navy visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) teams," said Lt.j.g. Greg Ponzi, officer in charge of LEDET 405. On Feb.

22 Oct 2001

USCG Strike Teams Provide Assistance

Seventy Coast Guard Strike Team members from the National Strike Force deployed to the World Trade Towers incident, Washington D.C., and Boca Raton, Fla., to assist other agencies with response as a result of terrorist attacks. The Coast Guard Strike Force, specialists in emergency and chemical response, were requested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist with air monitoring, contractor oversight and operating washing stations in New York at Ground Zero and the Staten Island Landfill evidence collection site. In Washington, Strike Force members are dressed in Level B response gear to help gather samples at the Capitol Building and the Hart Senate Office Building. Additionally, they are providing contractor oversight and are operating washing sites on scene.

17 Jul 2007

Coast Guard Establishes Deployable Operations Group

The U.S. Coast Guard will stand-up the Deployable Operations Group during an establishment ceremony 7 p.m. Friday at Fort Lesley J. McNair. The Deployable Operations Group aligns all Coast Guard deployable, specialized forces under a single, unified command headed by a Rear Adm. Thomas F. Atkin. The command will provide organized, equipped, and trained forces to Coast Guard and interagency operational and tactical commanders. Deployable specialized forces are comprised of approximately 3,000 Coast Guard personnel from 12 Maritime Safety and Security Teams, the Maritime Security Response Team, two Tactical Law Enforcement Teams, eight Port Security Units, three National Strike Teams and the National Strike Force Coordination Center.

06 Aug 2003

Pascoe Appointed Chief at LISCR

Operations & Standards. Communications for the world's leading ship registry, and will replace Captain John Deleonardis, who has retired. welcome this experienced mariner into a tough job. registry. register of our size. choose our registry. Coast Guard. vessels and ports in Maine and New Hampshire. chemical spill incidents, port contingency planning and exercises. to IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee. Oil Pollution Co-ordination Centre during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. the high standards that the Liberian Registry delivers. by retaining its position as the best-performing major ship register. policy. their performance over a three-year rolling period. significantly superior performance compared to registers of comparable size. State Regimes.

24 Mar 2003

Coast Guard Safeguards Captured Oil Platforms

Members of Coast Guard Port Security Units 311 and 313 relieved U.S. Marines earlier today of responsibility for security on two gas and oil platforms in the Northern Persian Gulf. The Marines had held both platforms after U.S. Navy SEALS took them from the Iraqi regime. Members of PSU 311, from San Pedro, Calif., and PSU 313, from Tacoma, Wash., are among the approximately 650 Coast Guard men and women participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Persian Gulf. In addition to the PSUs, Coast Guardsmen are serving in four 110-foot patrol boats, a 378-foot high-endurance cutter, a 225-foot buoy tender, two law enforcement detachments, elements of the National Strike Force and a harbor defense command unit.

31 Mar 2003

U.S. Coast Guard Protects Aid Shipment to Umm Qasr

Coast Guard cutter Wrangell, homeported in Portland, Me., along with a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Honolulu, escorted the first waterborne humanitarian aid shipment into the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq, while members of Coast Guard Port Security Unit 311, from San Pedro, Calif., assisted other coalition forces protecting the harbor. The shipment, consisting of vital aid donated by numerous countries, will be offloaded from the British ship RFA Sir Galahad and distributed to the Iraqi people. Iraqi Freedom, including force protection and port security," said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Carter, a Coast Guard spokesman in Bahrain. harbor defense command unit.

29 Jul 1999

New Wave of Acquisitions

As the USCG heads into the 21st century, all the surface and air assets which perform missions in the Deepwater environment (beyond 50 nautical miles from U.S. shores) are approaching the end of their respective service lives. These missions typically require either extended on-scene presence, long transit distance to reach the operating area, forward deployment of forces, or a combination of these factors. In addition, the USCG is faced with a constrained budget. The USCG must therefore concentrate its scarce resources on an integrated system of surface, air, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) and logistics assets to maximize operational effectiveness while minimizing life-cycle costs.