Date: 10.3.19
Contact: Joint Information Center (912) 944-7122
The St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command continues its response to the Motor Vessel Golden Ray. Salvage workers continue to lighter the vessel and they have removed over 169,000 gallons of fuel as of Thursday.
Response teams continue to canvass the shoreline for oil-impacted impacted areas and conduct environmental protection techniques to mitigate further impact. There are currently 449 personnel and 71 vessels responding to the incident. 14,700 feet of containment boom has been deployed to protect sensitive areas.
A claims number has been established for those affected by the incident (888) 850-8486.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of the community as we work to resolve this complex situation. We are working diligently and expeditiously to reduce the impact of this incident on the community and surrounding environment.” – Chris Graff of Gallagher Marine Systems, Incident Commander
Representatives of the Unified Command will attend CoastFest on Saturday, Oct. 5th at Mary Ross Waterfront Park, Brunswick GA
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The Georgia Department of Health has issued a swimming and fishing advisory, and members of the public are encouraged to visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website or call (844) 863-0325 for further public health information and advisories. Specialists continue to actively monitor air and water quality around the vessel, Jekyll Island, and St. Simons Island.
The Unified Command is partnering with local stakeholder groups to track and evaluate reported sightings of oil, including working with permitted wildlife rehabilitators to locate, examine and rehabilitate potentially oiled wildlife. Members of the public should not touch oil or attempt to rescue oiled birds or wildlife. They should instead report any sightings of oil to (800) 424-8802 and report any oiled wildlife to (800) 261-0980.