Coast Guard Clears Vessel from Goethals Oil Spill to Depart NYC

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 1st District PA Detachment New York Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment New York Office: (212) 514-4291 After Hours: (917) 703-0983 PA Detachment New York online newsroom

Coast Guard Clears Vessel from Goethals Oil Spill to Depart NYC

 

NEW YORK -- The Coast Guard cleared the Dublin Express for departure from New York Container Terminal in Staten Island Thursday morning. The departure was approved following completion of repairs and cleaning of the vessel.

The Unified Command, consisting of state and federal agencies and the responsible party, will continue cleanup operations until all impacted parts of the Arthur Kill Waterway are fully restored. Cleanup operations in Jacob Riis Park concluded Tuesday and there’s been no new reported impacts in that area. Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique (SCAT) teams identified a small amount of tar balls in Atlantic Beach and are evaluating them to confirm the source. The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the area with local stakeholders.

Through evaluation of data collected on board by Coast Guard marine investigators and additional data provided by vessel representatives, the Unified Command believes that up to 100,000 gallons of heavy fuel-oil were released by the vessel during its transit along the East Coast to New York. The Unified Command reports the total amount of oily-water recovered in the Arthur Kill Waterway is approximately 35,000 gallons.

A fourth oiled bird was recovered and transported for rehabilitation to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. If you see an oiled animal, please note the location and call the hotline at 1-866-601-5880. Please DO NOT attempt to capture or handle any oiled wildlife. There are trained personnel in the field who will receive your information and assess the wildlife for capture and rehabilitation.

“This response was a joint effort between state and federal agencies and the responsible party,” said Capt. Jason Tama, Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “We take any release of oil into the maritime environment extremely seriously, and we are thankful for the quick and efficient response from all agencies involved.”

“This multi-agency response moved quickly and effectively to ensure the public and the environment are protected,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. “DEC thanks the U.S. Coast Guard and our state and local partners for coordinating the efforts to identify and clean up the spill impacts we’ve seen thus far, and we will continue to monitor the coast and encourage anyone who observes any potential oil products from this spill to contact the command center immediately to assist in our investigation.”

For all claims, for reports of oiled wildlife, reports of tar balls, and for media queries please call 866-601-5880.

 

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