Breakwater-Sunken Boat Posed Pollution Risk In Environmentally Sensitive Area; Coast Guard Implemented This Plan To Contain/Mitigate Pollution Threat
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(Aug. 26, 2018) -- When a 44-boat hit the LB breakwater and sank on Aug. 24 (all aboard rescued safely), that ended one story but began another. The vessel carried marine-grade batteries and an estimated 240 gallons of diesel fuel, not a good combination for an environmentally sensitive area.
In an Aug. 26 release, the U.S. Coast Guard's LA/LB Detachment says that shortly after dawn on Aug. 25, LBPD and LASD divers assisted the Coast Guard in confirming the vessel's position and condition along with underwater video footage. "Coast Guard pollution responders referenced the area contingency plan confirming the area to be an environmentally sensitive site and recommended the federal on scene coordinator access the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to contract with Ocean Blue Environmental, an oil spill removal organization, to mitigate any threat of pollution to the environment and conduct any required cleaning operations," USCG says in a release.
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"This was an excellent team effort from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Long Beach Police Department Dive Teams and Coast Guard Sector LA-LB," said Lt. Cmdr. John Suckow, the Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach incident management division chief. "The dive teams secured the fuel valve on the sunken vessel and took video footage of the vessel's condition, which helped us develop an effective game plan to mitigate the pollution threat posed by this vessel. As a result, we have an oil spill removal organization on scene setting boom to protect a nearby environmentally sensitive area and setting up to remove the fuel from the vessel."
The water's depth in the area is reported to be roughly 52 feet.
USCG encouraged mariners in the vicinity of the LB harbor breakwater "to exercise caution while transiting through the area and to report any sign of visible pollution to the Coast Guard at 310-521-3805."
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