Incident Responses for July 2018

Posted Tue, 08/07/2018 - 16:53
Two vessels in water.
An aerial view of a plume in water.
An oiled pier.

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries, and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment.

This month OR&R responded to 20 incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and hazardous material releases.

Here are some of July’s notable incidents:

A close up of oiled water and rocks.
Oiled rocks on a white sheet in a shoreline.

Fuel Release on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska

On July 13, 2018 the U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a fuel spill in Gambell, Alaska. The amount releases was potentially 2,000 to 2,600 gallons of diesel or home heating oil. OR&R’s scientific support coordinator for the region was requested to discuss site characterization and potential spill response options.

An aerial view of a sheen in water.
An aerial view of a sheen in water.

Fishing Vessel Capsized in Nushagak Bay in Alaska

On July 25, 2018 the U.S. Coast Guard sector in Anchorage reported that a fishing vessel had capsized in Nushagak Bay, approximately 11 miles south of Dillingham, Alaska. The vessel, FV Pacific Knight, was reported to have 800 gallons of diesel and 300 gallons of hydraulic oil onboard at the time it went down. A sheen was observed on the water.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency fishing closure due to the 10 mile rainbow sheen that was observed during an overflight. Commercial fishing reopened on July 31.

A missing crew member has still not been located at this time. The cause of incident is still under investigation.

Pollution boom around a sunken vessel.
A vessel on its keel being refloated.

Fishing Vessel Sank in Alaska

On July 26, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez reported that a fishing vessel sank near Cordova, Alaska. FV O’letta sank in 32 feet of water with an estimated 15,000 pounds of salmon on board. The vessel had an estimated 600 gallons of diesel on board. An oil sheen was observed and boom was deployed around the vessel.

The U.S. Coast Guard requested a report on the resources at risk in the area. The vessel was refloated and towed to Cordova. The majority of the oil and other fluids on board were recovered, and the sheen around the vessel was too thin to be skimmed.

A vessel being lifted out of the water.
On July 26, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez reported that a fishing vessel sank near Cordova, Alaska. Image credit: Alaska Marine Refuge.

Here is the complete list of last month’s incidents, click on the links to find out more: