Training for the crew to better respond if an oil spill should occur
Coast Guard crewmembers aboard the Cutter Aspen, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported at Yerba Buena Island, conduct training with members from the Pacific Strike Team stationed in Novato, Calif., on the cutter’s Spilled Oil Recovery System equipment on the San Francisco Bay Thursday, June 13, 2013.
Coast Guard crewmembers aboard the Cutter Aspen, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Sector San Francisco, conduct training with members from the Pacific Strike Team stationed in Novato, Calif., on the cutter’s Spilled Oil Recovery System equipment on the San Francisco Bay Thursday, June 13, 2013. The Aspen and other buoy tenders are required to keep this equipment on board in the event of a marine hazardous material spill. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd ClassLoumaniaStewart
The Aspen and other buoy tenders are required to keep this equipment on board in the event of a marine hazardous material spill.
Coast Guard members assigned to the PST supported the members from the Aspen to ensure theirspilled oil recovery system is in working condition, and to help the crew become more proficient.
A trained crew of ten is able to install the SORS equipment in the “in transit” mode in less than one hour with assistance of a lifting crane on board the Aspen. Once on the scene of the oil spill, the equipment can be fully deployed and begin recovering spilled oil in less than one hour.
Cmdr. William Carter, the commanding officer of the PST, said that the training provided by the team prepared the Aspen crew to better respond if an oil spill should occur.
The skimming system, SORS, has four main steps:
- concentrate the oil sheen
- skim the oil/water mix
- pump the oil skimmed from the water’s surface, and
- contain the skimmed oil in a tank or other form of storage so the oil can later be transferred to an appropriate recycling or disposal facility.
Source: USCG