Jacksonville Agency, Industry Partners Respond to Mock Oil Spill
Story By PA1 Donnie Brzuska, PADET Jacksonville, Fla.
Photos by PA1 Donnie Brzuska and PA2 Bobby Nash, PADET Jacksonville, Fla.
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| JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Maria Bray deploy the Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System along the side of their cutter to become familiar with the equipment Sept. 11, 2006. VOSS is used to help clean up oil spills and is being used in conjunction with an area oil spill exercise that involves the Coast Guard and several other federal, state and local agencies. Coast Guard photograph by PA1 Donnie Brzuska. |
Nearly a dozen agencies and companies consisting of approximately 130 people participated in the National Preparedness Response Exercise Program, which is aimed at testing and improving area agencies' ability to respond to an actual pollution incident in Jacksonville.
"This exercise re-affirmed my confidence in our partner agencies and the Coast Guard's ability to respond to a major oil spill in this region," said Capt. Paul Thomas, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville and the federal on scene coordinator for the exercise.
The first two days of the exercise were largely classroom training and familiarization of the exercise command post set up at St. Johns River Power Park in Jacksonville. The command post coordinated the multitude of agency assets that were involved in the exercise.
The response organization, which included representatives from all the participating agencies, actually began moving resources and dispatching assessment teams Sept. 13 to respond to the mock pollution incident.
"I think the greatest benefit to this exercise is the renewed working relationships with our response partners and the participating members of industry," said Thomas.
The exercise scenario consisted of a fully-laden, automobile transport ship loosing steering and hitting the St. Johns River Power Park coal pier at Blount Island, Fla. The ship's impact with the pier causes coal operations on the St. Johns River to stop. The transport finally grounds and begins spilling thousands of gallons of volatile fuel-oil into the St. Johns River.
The Coast Guard deployed its vessel of opportunity skimming system Sept. 11, from the Cutter Maria Bray from Mayport, Fla. The vessel of opportunity skimming system is used to isolate and collect oil as it floats on the surface of the water. A vessel of opportunity skimming system is designed to be transported to an oil spill site and convert any suitable ship available (commercial, private or government-owned vessel) into a single ship oil-recovery platform. The Coast Guard has 19 of these systems pre-positioned nationwide for pollution response.
Several inter-agency Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams were also deployed. These teams map the locations of oil and debris; record the condition, location, and percent coverage of the oil; and suggest appropriate response strategies.
"Rapid response and shoreline assessments provide essential protection of our
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| JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Crewmembers of the Coast Guard Cutter Maria Bray deploy boom for the Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System to become familiar with the equipment Sept. 11, 2006. VOSS is used to help clean up oil spills and is being used in conjunction with an area oil spill exercise that involves the Coast Guard and several other federal, state and local agencies. Coast Guard photograph by PA2 Bobby Nash. |
The exercise tested two area preparedness plans: the Northeast and Eastern Central Florida Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Area Contingency Plan and the U.S. Coast Guard Non-tank Vessel Response Plan for Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., LTD.
Agencies and industry partners that participated in this exercise included Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Jacksonville Port Authority, representatives from the City of Jacksonville, JEA, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Navy, representatives for Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., LTD and the Coast Guard. coastal communities, said Phil Wieczynski, Chief of Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Emergency Response. "Properly surveying the affected areas allows responders to maximize the recovery of oiled habitats and resources while minimizing environmental impacts." The exercise tested two area preparedness plans: the Northeast and Eastern Central Florida Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Area Contingency Plan and the U.S. Coast Guard Non-tank Vessel Response Plan for Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., LTD. Agencies and industry partners that participated in this exercise included Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Jacksonville Port Authority, representatives from the City of Jacksonville, JEA, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Navy, representatives for Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., LTD and the Coast Guard.
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