- Diesel Spill Contained, No Further Pollution Reported.
- Authorities Continue Salvage and Safety Operations.
- Cargo Operations Largely Unaffected Despite Incident.
Recovery teams have successfully pulled 32 containers from the water after an incident where around 75 boxes fell during offloading at a major port. Some of these toppled containers hit a clean air barge, causing a spill of renewable diesel. Officials have confirmed that all the unaffected containers are now safely secured onboard, and salvage teams will keep working to secure the remaining ones, reports World Cargo News.
Incident Details
According to authorities, the containers fell from two different bays and were loaded with general cargo. The recovery efforts involve a collaboration of federal, state, and local agencies, along with port workers, to manage the affected cargo. Officials have stated that salvage operations and safety protocols will be ongoing in the coming days.
Focus on Safety and Progress
“In just a few days, we have made significant progress in securing the vessel cargo and recovering containers — all while maintaining the highest standards of safety for response workers and crew onboard the vessel,” said Capt. Stacey Crecy, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles – Long Beach.
A morning offloading operation led to an accident that damaged a barge and caused a tank to rupture, spilling around 2,000 gallons of renewable diesel. Fortunately, the leak was contained on the same day, prompting a temporary halt to cargo operations for safety inspections, although truck traffic continued as usual. A local labour representative noted that such a collapse is extremely rare and clarified that it wasn’t due to any error on the part of the dockworkers.
Environmental and Operational Measures
Authorities have reported no signs of additional pollution since the initial leak. The Unified Command is actively conducting surveys, drone overflights, and dive operations to determine the best course of action moving forward.
“The Unified Command’s top priority remains the safety of response workers, the vessel’s crew, and the general public, followed closely by the protection and stewardship of the surrounding environment,” the command said. Cargo operations at the port are still in full swing and largely unaffected. A 500-yard safety zone is currently in place around the vessel, with port authorities, pilots, and the Coast Guard working together to manage the navigation of commercial vessels within that area.
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Source: World Cargo News
