The US Coast Guard is working with contractors on April 27, to mitigate the possible pollution threat posed by a derelict barge on the shoreline of Womens Bay on Kodiak Island. USCG verified an approximate 300-yard long, 1-yard wide, patchy, rainbow-colored sheen coming from near the barge that has been grounded on shoreline of the southeast corner of Womens Bay for several years.
The US Coast Guard opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for $150,000, and hired Global Diving and Salvage to assess the situation and help address the pollution threat.
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Containment boom has been located around the barge. Contractors started pumping product from the barge on April 27 afternoon.
Pollution investigators from US Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak initially responded to a report on April 25 of a rainbow-colored sheen coming from the vicinity of the barge.
The maximum potential for fuel and or oily waste that is still on the barge and the barge’s owner are still unknown.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Emily Clore, Federal On Scene Coordinator Representative for the case, mentioned:
Our job is to ensure the potential for pollution in this situation is mitigated. The sheening so far is relatively light, and seems to be discharging intermittently, at a slow rate. But protecting the pristine maritime environment surrounding Kodiak Island is our top priority here
