Date: July 28, 2008

Contact:  Joint Information Center
(504) 393-0372

MISSISSIPPI RIVER OIL SPILL RESPONSE UPDATE 

NEW ORLEANS - Efforts to clean up and contain the nearly 420,000 gallons of oil spilled in the Mississippi River continue Monday.     

The following is the latest information:

•  Ships are moving through the river at a faster pace.  Thirty vessels were moved in or out of the effected areas Sunday and 60 vessels are expected to be moved today.
• More than 72,000 gallons of an oil/water mix has been recovered to date.
• Approximately 1,584 responders from four oil spill response organizations are currently deployed throughout the region affected by the spill.
• The responders are using approximately three tugs, 166 work boats, six barges, 33 skimmers and 17 vacuum trucks to clean up the spill.
• Approximately 200,000 feet of boom is deployed.
• All water intakes are open except one near Boothville, close to mile marker 19.
• A plan to salvage the barge has been approved and is being implemented.
• 58 vessels have been decontaminated and released and operations are accelerating
• The Unified Command is working diligently to ensure personal safety, to expedite pollution cleanup and to resume commercial traffic as soon as possible.
• An incident Web site has been established at www.neworleansoilspill.com
• Oiled wildlife can be reported by calling 504-393-0353.
  

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Date: July 27, 2008

Contact:  Joint Information Center
(504) 393-0372

Notice to Mariners

NEW ORLEANS - This message was issued at 6 p.m. Saturday and is being broadcast to mariners throughout the Mississippi River:

The Captain of the Port of New Orleans, under the authority of the port and waterways safety act, has established a safety zone from the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy, including Baptiste Collette and South Pass to mile marker 98, Lower Mississippi River, above Head of Passes, extending the entire width of the river.

This safety zone is needed to protect persons and vessels from the hazards associated with an oil spill from a collision involving a tanker ship and a fuel barge.

All vessels are prohibited from entering this safety zone unless they have been granted permission from the Captain of the Port of New Orleans.

Limited vessel movement will be authorized only with specific approval from the Captain of the Port. All inbound vessels bound for berths in the effected zone are required to stay outside Southwest Pass.

Failure to comply with the safety zone will subject persons to a civil penalty of up to $32,500. Willful violation of this order may be punishable by a fine of not more than $50,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.

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Date: July 26, 2008

Contact:  Joint Information Center
(504) 393-0372

Coast Guard Unified Command Establishes Decontamination Sites

NEW ORLEANS - Two vessel decontamination sites were established today by the Unified Command to clean vessels affected by Wednesday’s oil spill in the river.

One is located near Boothville, La., and the other is upriver of the Greater New Orleans Bridge.  Hull decontamination is necessary for all vessels contaminated by oil. Ships must be cleaned before being allowed to transit outside of the current safety zone.  Removing oil on the hull of affected vessels will complete decontamination.

One work boat, pressure washer and crew of three will go down each side of the vessel cleaning the oil from bow to stern.

During decontamination containment boom is placed downstream of the vessel and absorbent materials are placed inside the containment boom to collect any oil washed off the hull.  No detergents or chemicals will be utilized during the decontamination process.

Five vessels were inspected at the decontamination site in Boothville today.  No contamination was found and the vessels were authorized to transit to the Gulf of Mexico.

To request scheduling and permission to transit to a decontamination site, contact the Unified Command’s Maritime Transportation System Recovery Unit at the following numbers:

For Brown Water Vessels contact the MTSRU at (504) 589 – 2333; for Deep Draft vessels contact (504) 589-2332.

Decontamination operations will begin no earlier than one half hour after sunrise and shall cease no later then one half hour before sunset.

Vessel crews wishing to perform independent vessel decontamination may be authorized by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port to do so.  Furthermore, any vessel crew wishing to self-clean should coordinate with the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Center for a post-cleaning inspection, performed by a Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative.

Email any waterway questions to SECNOLA_Waterways@uscg.mil

To review the vessel decontamination plan click here.

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Date: July 26, 2008, 1:30 p.m.

Contact:  Joint Information Center
(504) 393-0372

Unified Command Responds to Mississippi River Oil Spill

NEW ORLEANS - Efforts to contain and clean up the nearly 420,000 gallons of oil spilled in the lower Mississippi River continue Saturday.

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  More than 48,000 gallons of an oil water/mix has been recovered to date.

   

   

   

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  Approximately 795 responders from four oil spill response organizations are currently deployed throughout the region affected by the spill.

   

   

   

  The responders are using approximately three tugs, 71 work boats, 7 barges, 33 skimmers, 10 vacuum trucks, to clean up the spill.

   

   

   

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  Approximately 188,000 feet of boom is deployed.

   

   

   

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  All water intakes are open except one near Boothville, close to mile marker 19.

   

   

   

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  A plan to salvage the barge is being developed.

   

   

   

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  Ninety-five vessels are currently waiting to transit the river.  Approximately 50 vessels planning to transit the waterway are expected to arrive in the area throughout Sunday.

   

   

   

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  One oiled dove was captured and cleaned.

   

   

   

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