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Report - Situation/Final

Friday, 16 March 2001
TGLO and NOAA completed the SCAT survey of the Gulf Coast Waste Water Containment Canal up
to HWY. 146 by boat and discovered no pooled pockets of oil as was feared earlier.  The
small pockets of oil on the riprap were identified by TGLO and cleanup crews were assigned
to manually remove the oil.  Cleanup recommendations and endpoints were developed and
submitted to the operations section.


A surface-washing agent was approved for use by the RRT arrived on scene at approximately
1800.  PES-51 was chosen as the surface-washing agent because it is listed on the NCP
Product Schedule and it did not have a soak time.  Washing agents requiring longer soak
times may have had greater runoff problems on the vertical surfaces of the vessel; a
larger amount of washing agent required for the same effect.


Due to the inaccessibility of the high pressure washing equipment to the starboard side of
the Hudson Spirit, PES-51 was used to clean the bathtub ring around the vessel at the
waterline.  First a test was done without PES-51 and then with the agent.  From the photo
you can see that without the agent (NoAgent1.JPG and 2.JPG) very little oil was removed
and parts of the sorbent pad clung to the side of the vessel.  With PES-51 the oil was
easily removed and the sorbent pad did not fray and cling to the vessel (WithPES-51.JPG
and 51b.JPG).  To minimize oil and agent in the water a sorbent pad was sprayed with
PES-51 and then used to wipe down the vessel followed by a clean pad.



Saturday, 17 March 2001
By morning all floating oil was recovered.  Operations focused on decon of equipment and
cleaning the MV Genmar Hector. A test of high pressure/cold water, high pressure/hot
water, and high pressure/hot water with PES-51 was conducted. (A test with high
pressure/cold water with PES-51 was not conducted due to the fact that the hot water
equipment was on scene, readily available, and thought to have a better effect).


Present for the test were USCG, NOAA, RP, and the Captain and QI of the Genmar Hector. The
high pressure/cold water was not effective, no oil was removed.   The high pressure/hot
water was minimally effective, a stain still remained, but there was evidence of sheening
in the water.  The high pressure/hot water with PES-51 was very effective, no stain was
left and black oil was observed running down the side of the vessel.   The photo,
CAPTGenmarHector.JPG, shows the Captain of the Genmar Hector comparing the high
pressure/hot water wash (to the left) to the high pressure/hot water with PES-51 (to the
right).


A total of 3 vessels, 3 floating dry-docks,  2 barges, and approximately 2nm of shoreline
were impacted from the spill.  Clean up continues.  The NOAA ASSC departed the scene on
Saturday evening.  Unless the situation changes, this constitutes the end of our support
and the final incident report.

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