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 eight incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and hazardous material releases.
Here are some of May’s notable incidents:
Vessel Grounded in Canadian Waters
On May 29, tanker vessel Chem Norma grounded in Canadian waters near Morrisburg, Ontario. The vessel was carrying 11 metric tons of petroleum distillates and an unknown quantity of fuel and oil. A fate and effects was requested, though no pollution or discharges were reported. OR&R collaborated with Environment Canada for modeling. The vessel has since been refloated.
Vessel Sunk Near Ocean Beach
On May 29, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division oceanographer on duty was notified of a sunken fishing vessel 9 miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
The maximum potential discharge was estimated to be 400 gallons of diesel fuel. OR&R provided a description of the product’s fate.
Here is the complete list of last month’s incidents, click on the links to find out more:
- Eco Services Spent Sulfuric Acid Release
- Norwalk River Sodium Bisulfite Discharge
- New Orleans Terminal - DHS015
- FV Kelli J
- M/V Durango, TX
- Tarball Incident: SE Florida
- T/V Chem Norma Grounding
- Sunken Vessel - Ocean Beach
For information on other ongoing responses, please visit OR&R's incident response feed IncidentNews.