BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Response environmental mitigation personnel recovered oil that discharged from the wreck on Tuesday. Mitigation operations occurred on the shoreline and in the vicinity of the wreck site. Cutting operations continue to separate Section Three of the Golden Ray wreck.
REMOVAL UPDATE
Cutting operations to separate Section Three from the remaining Golden Ray wreck are on-going. Wreck removal personnel resumed chain cycling operations on Tuesday after a routine inspection on Sunday prescribed maintenance to the rigging system of the cutting apparatus.
The cutting chain progresses along the pre-cut groove during operations to separate Section Three from the remaining Golden Ray wreck on Sunday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
The 150-yard safety zone around the EPB is increased to 200 yards for recreational vessels. The Unified Command (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
Pollution mitigation vessels standby to contain a discharge of oil from the Golden Ray wreck on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Response vessels mitigate oil sheens in the vicinity of the Golden Ray wreck on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo
A response vessel tows a Current Buster to collect any oil that escapes the Environmental Protection Barrier (EPB) during pollution mitigation operations on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
On-water response team member recovers an oil globule near Clam Creek on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
A shoreline survey team member identifies light oiling on the sand near St. Simons Lighthouse on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
A pollution mitigation team recovers light oiling discovered during a shoreline survey near St Simons lighthouse on Tuesday. The response uses specialized mitigation teams for recovery operations that require more labor and equipment than can be carried by shoreline survey team members. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Shoreline survey team members recover debris along a segment of beach on the northside of Jekyll Island on Tuesday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Responders deploy white sorbent boom near the orange barrier boom used at the entrance of Clam Creek on Tuesday. Sorbent boom is hydrophobic and can absorb any oil material floating on the water’s surface. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
On-water response teams maintain a 24-hour watch around the Golden Ray and they deploy pre-staged equipment and personnel to mitigate any oil discharges, sheens and debris observed. Natural Resource Advisors continue to monitor areas around the wreck site and the Environmental Protection Barrier for any wildlife activity or impacts.
Shoreline survey teams continue to recover 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.
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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