BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Response engineers continue damage assessments of the wreck and wreck removal equipment. Shoreline survey teams continue to recover increased amounts of small debris.
REMOVAL UPDATE
Wreck removal personnel continue to assess, repair and replace equipment on the VB-10000 heavy lift vessel. Concurrently, naval architects and response engineers continue to assess the structure of the remaining Golden Ray wreck and the custom-fabricated lifting structures welded to the top of the wreck. Divers and rope-access technicians continue pre-cutting operations which includes the drilling additional drainage holes and fire suppression access points along the remaining sections of the wreck.
Wreck removal personnel conduct maintenance and fire damage assessments of the VB-10000 lifting beams on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Workers remove the lifting grommets made of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene from the VB-10000 lifting beams on Monday for repairs. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
A response engineer and naval architect walk along the topside of the Golden Ray wreck during a fire damage assessment on Monday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Section Seven of the Golden Ray wreck arrives at the recycling facility in Gibson, La across from Section Two as a crane prepares to remove the last remaining piece of Section Eight from the Barge 455-8 on Saturday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
The 150-yard safety zone around the EPB is increased to 200 yards for recreational vessels. The UC advises mariners to please steer clear of the perimeter to ensure the safety of our responders and the public. Any unauthorized usage of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs) around the wreck site and near response facilities is discouraged due to safety. UAVs are distractions that can lead to near misses, mishaps and injuries. Responders will report any sightings of drones and drone operators to local authorities.
ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE
Emily Scheiben of Gallagher Marine Systems recovers a piece of small, plastic debris during a survey of Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, Ga. on Wednesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Joseph Wilson and Lane Farrar of Gallagher Marine Systems recover a piece of debris during a survey of Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, Ga. on Wednesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
A responder recovers a piece of debris during routine on-water pollution monitoring and mitigation operations in the vicinity of the Golden Ray wreck on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders sort debris recovered by shoreline survey teams at a response facility on Tuesday. The response debris plan outlines how debris is catalogued, weighed and disposed. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Brooke Wilson of Gallagher Marine Systems uses a Multi-RAE to collect air quality measurements at the St. Simons Island Pier during routine community air monitoring operations. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Shoreline survey teams continue to recover increased numbers of small, plastic debris from the shorelines of Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. All debris is sorted, catalogued and disposed of according to the response debris plan. To learn more about the response debris program, watch this video Subject Matter Expert Overview – Debris Removal Operations
Safety personnel continue air monitoring in the community using mobile air monitoring equipment. Community air quality analysis and water sample analysis continues to confirm no exceedances of air and water quality standards.
On-water response teams continue to mitigate very light oil sheens and debris observed around the wreck site. Natural Resource Advisors continue to monitor areas around the wreck site and the Environmental Protection Barrier for any wildlife activity or impacts. No wildlife impacts have been observed.
If you encounter what you believe is debris from the Golden Ray wreck, please do not handle the debris. Call the Debris Reporting Hotline at (912) 944-5620. Responders evaluate each report, survey the vicinity and recover any shipwreck debris in addition to their daily surveys of the water and the shoreline. If you encounter residual oil on the shoreline or in the water, please call the National Response Center hotline at (800) 424-8802.
The Unified Command (UC) developed a multi-layer approach for observing, surveying, documenting and mitigating any releases of oil or debris during cutting and lifting operations. Recovery personnel are on-station at the Environmental Protection Barrier, at the shoreline and on the water around the Golden Ray shipwreck. Responders are maintaining protective boom at sensitive locations around St. Simons Sound.
The St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command is the official source of information for the motor vessel Golden Ray response operations.
For more updates, please subscribe for email alerts at https://www.stsimonssoundincidentresponse.com/subscribe
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