Army Ship Taking on Water & Spilling Fuel, Coast Guard Responds
UPDATE:
Coast Guard personnel are coordinating with the Army Reserve, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Alaska Chadux Corporation and other stakeholders in response to the diesel fuel spill that occurred Friday night as a result of damage to the Army vessel Monterrey in Chiniak Bay near Kodiak.
Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak personnel estimate the amount of fuel in the water from two reportedly breached fuel compartments at 15,291 gallons.
Two booms have been put in place around the beached 174-foot landing craft, and a third boom is being placed at the mouth of the Buskin River, an environmentally sensitive area. Response teams are exploring the possibility of skimming vessels to clear surface fuel.
"Now that the crew of the Army vessel is safe, our number one priority is to limit the impact of the leaked fuel," said Lt. Matthew Zinn, supervisor of MSD Kodiak. "Environmental stewardship is a statutory mission for the Coast Guard, and protecting the pristine Alaskan coast is very important to us."
---
Coast Guard personnel responded to a mayday call from the crew of a United States Army vessel after they reportedly struck an object and began taking on water in Chiniak Bay at 10:16 p.m. on Friday.
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched at 10:44 p.m., with dewatering and rescue equipment, to assist the Army crew aboard the Monterrey, a landing craft with the 481st Transportation Company located in Vallejo, Calif.
Good Samaritans aboard the fishing vessels Resolution and Peggy Joe also responded to assist. The Peggy Joe crew safely transported two crewmembers with minor injuries from the Monterrey to emergency medical services in Kodiak.
To keep the vessel from sinking, the Monterrey crew successfully beached the vessel on Puffin Island. The crew reported a breach in an 8,000-gallon fuel tank and Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak personnel are responding.
The Coast Guard has contracted Alaska Chadux Corporation to assist in containing and cleaning up the fuel leak. While only one fuel tank has been reported as damaged, the Monterrey is reportedly carrying up to 40,000 gallons of fuel on board.
“The U.S. Army Reserve is grateful for the prompt response of the Coast Guard and the many good Samaritans who ensured the safety and health of our Soldiers,” said Maj. Annmarie Daneker, Army Reserve media relations officer. “The safety of the crew and the protection of the local environment is our top priority and we will cooperate fully with the Coast Guard during the cleanup and salvage efforts.”
The Monterrey crew was participating in a mission to provide transportation of heavy construction equipment and supplies from Port Hueneme, Calif., to Bethel in support of a mission for the Marine Corps.
---
Source: United States Coast Guard - http://www.uscgnews.com