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Responders Remove Oily Water from Golden Ray

Responders with the St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command shovel and bag oiled debris as part of a response to environmental impacts on Quarantine Beach, Brunswick, Ga., Sept. 23, 2019.
Responders with the St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command shovel and bag oiled debris as part of a response to environmental impacts on Quarantine Beach, Brunswick, Ga., Sept. 23, 2019.

Published Sep 23, 2019 9:08 PM by The Maritime Executive

Response crews have removed approximately 4,350 gallons of oily water mixture from the Golden Ray's engine room. 

The 656-foot car carrier Golden Ray capsized with a fire on board in St. Simons Sound, Brunswick, Georgia, on September 8. There were 24 on board, 23 crew and one pilot. All were rescued. However, the stricken vessel still poses a major hazard to navigation for the Port of Brunswick. She capsized at the entrance to St. Simons Sound while departing the port for Baltimore.

More than 200 responders are attached to the Unified Command, made up of the U.S. Coast Guard, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Gallagher Marine Systems, and nearly 60 vessels are engaged in the response. Inside the ship, air and water tests are being conducted to ensure safe working conditions as crews are making preliminary plans to start removing oil from tanks on board the ship. Meanwhile, response teams are removing oiled sediment and debris where found, and specialists are actively monitoring air and water quality around the vessel, Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.

Commercial traffic in the Port of Brunswick continues to move on a case by case basis.