Bow Mariner oil spill recovery operations underway The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) oil recovery vessel VIRGINIA RESPONDER recovered approximately 25,000 gallons of an oily water mix about 18 miles from where the T/V BOW MARINER sank Saturday night. A helicopter is flying over the area to locate pockets of oil and direct the oil recovery vessel to skim them from the water. Thursday’s weather is favorable for skimming and sonar operations, winds are out of the South, Southwest at 10-15 knots, waves 2-5 feet. Conditions for Friday are forecast to deteriorate with winds 20-25 knots and waves 5-10 feet. Saturday’s forecast winds 25-35 knots and waves 7-15 feet continuing through Monday. Weekend weather may impact operations.
Weather expected to deteriorate over the weekend
Today, the Norfolk, Va., based NOAA Ship RUDE will again sweep the area where the T/V BOW MARINER sank with side scan sonar to acquire additional underwater imagery. Previous scans completed on Tuesday were inconclusive, underwater imagery from sonar scans are expected to prove useful in assessing potential recovery of fuel oil from the vessel. The RUDE previously used side scan sonar during the search and recovery of TWA flight 800 in 1996 and search and recovery operations of John F. Kennedy Jr’s aircraft and Egypt Air flight 990 off the Massachusetts coast in 1999.
A vessel will mark the wreck site with a radar reflector, warning vessels transiting the area of the hazard. As a precaution, air monitoring will be conducted to ensure that conditions are safe for workers.
The T/V BOW MARINER, a Singapore-flagged chemical tanker, left Linden, N.J., for Texas City, Texas, carrying a partial cargo of 3.2 million gallons of ethanol when it exploded and sank 50 miles off the Virginia coast Saturday night. The Coast Guard rescued six crewmembers, three deceased crewmembers were recovered and 18 crewmen are still missing.
Floating debris from the wreck is in the area, mariners should maintain a sharp lookout and monitor marine information broadcasts when transiting the area. Clean Harbors has been contracted to recover debris to reduce hazards to navigation. Ethanol released in the accident has dissipated. Oil in the slicks could pose an irritation hazard if it comes in contact with the skin, otherwise it does not appear to be a health concern to people or fisheries at this time.
Operations to secure the source of leaking oil and remove it from the wreck are being monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Norfolk, Va., and an inter-agency Unified Command including the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, Maryland Dept. of Environment, and representatives from the vessel owners and managers.