Fuel Removed from Sunken Fishing Vessel

The U.S. Coast Guard hired a contractor Thursday to remove the remaining fuel and hazardous substances that may be aboard the sunken commercial fishing vessel Lady Eva in Shem Creek, in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

The contractor, Moran Environmental, was hired after the owner’s attempts to do so were unsuccessful.

Charleston County 911 Consolidated Dispatch notified the Coast Guard that the 70-foot vessel was sinking at the dock, Wednesday morning. Members assigned to Coast Guard Sector Charleston were dispatched to monitor the recovery efforts of the vessel, including the potential discharge of fuel and hazardous materials.

As a result of the recovery efforts by the owner, Coast Guard hired a contractor, Moran Environmental, to conduct clean up operations. The vessel will remain boomed off with a soft sorbent padding for the short term, in an effort to capture any residual pollution.

The Coast Guard is responsible for saving lives at sea and protecting the environment. When a marine incident threatens to harm the environment, the Coast Guard responds by overseeing the responsible party's cleanup efforts. When necessary, the Coast Guard can utilize funds from the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to hire contractors to perform clean up operations.

As of Thursday evening, no significant pollution has been reported.

uscgnews.com