| Accident | : Collision |
| Date | : 2nd October 2015 |
| Vessel Involved | : M/V Global Gold Collided with Pier |
| Location | : Astoria, Oregon |
| Casualties | : None |
| Pollution | : 1100 gallons of oil spill |
The Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier collided with the Pier 1 at the Port of Astoria which resulted in an oil spill of more than 1000 gallons of oil.
Damages Determined:
- Nearly 1,100 gallons of oil had spilled;
- 4” by 8’ gash in the port side of the hull towards the stern.
Sequence of events:
| At 12.55 a.m | : USCG received an alert call regarding the collision. |
| By 3.30 a.m | : (i) Mobilised the Clean Rivers Cooperative; |
| (ii) Deployed boom around the vessel and pier; | |
| (iii) Applied oil absorbent pads to the small area affected by the oil spill. | |
| By 9 a.m | : A Coast Guard overflight confirmed that the oil spill in the boom was contained. |
U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality and the Washington State Department of Ecology, as well as the responsible party, established a unified command.
The investigation for the cause of collision and effects of the spill are underway. The vessel will be berthed at the port for repair purposes.
Chief Petty Officer Brad Bennett, a pollution investigator with U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River said, “The quick response and notification of proper authorities by the crew of the M/V Global Gold prevented this spill from becoming a much more serious situation. The unified command was established to deploy a safe and timely response to mitigate environmental damage and this is a collaborative process with the responsible party, both states and the federal government.”
Source: gCaptain
