Long Beach Salvage Operation Passes 50 Boxes Recovered

The Unified Command overseeing the operations in the Port of Long Beach reports that progress is continuing to be made in the efforts to recover from the container collapse aboard the vessel Mississippi alongside Pier G on September 9. One of the focuses, in addition to removing boxes from the harbor, is to stabilize the collapsed containers and to safely reach the damaged emission barge that is alongside the vessel.

In the update, they reported that a total of 54 containers have now been recovered from the harbor and from the pier. In addition to boxes falling into the harbor, a small number fell off the port side of the vessel onto Pier G. The first two boxes were recovered the day after the accident, and as of last weekend, September 14, a total of 32 containers had been recovered.

 

 

Two container bays, one midship and the other on the stern, collapsed during the incident on September 9. Numerous boxes remain askew on the vessel, with one of the efforts focusing on stabilizing those boxes. The Unified Command reports that unaffected boxes are being unloaded so that crews can safely access STAX 2. The company that operates the emissions barge, Stax Engineering, told The Maritime Executive earlier this month that its team was working to assess the damage and get the vessel back into service. Several of the boxes landed on the barge, causing one minor injury as the crew ran from the scene.

The Unified Command reports the operation is ongoing with a “Container Recovery Group,” and salvage crews working alongside International Longshore and Warehouse Union members. It previously estimated that 75 containers had fallen from the Mississippi.

 

 

The 500-yard safety zone remains in place around the Mississippi. The Captain of the Port has been working with vessels, and as of Wednesday, September 17, a total of 55 commercial vessels have been guided through the safety zone to maintain operations in the port. A containment boom remains around the site, although they previously said the oil leaking from the emissions barge had been stopped.