ALCOAST 349/23 - SEP 2023 2022 MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS AWARD RECIPIENTS

R 271720Z SEP 23   MID600053367268U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 349/23
SSIC 16000
SUBJ: 2022 MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS AWARD
RECIPIENTS
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061919Z FEB 23/ALCOAST 049/23
1. I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 RADM
Sidney A. Wallace Award for Excellence in Marine Environmental
Response and Preparedness (Wallace Award). The Wallace Award
recognizes units and individual members who exemplify the highest
standards of professionalism and initiative embodied by RADM Wallace
throughout his career. The 2022 awardees were selected from
impressive nominations submitted per REF (A). Thank you to all
who dedicated time to highlight both unit and individual
achievements. A panel convened and reviewed the nominations based
on the following criteria:
     a. Excellence in the area of marine environmental response and
preparedness;
     b. Contributions to the Marine Environmental Response (MER)
Program;
     c. Efforts to improve coordination and cooperation among all MER
partner agencies, industry, and the public;
     d. Professional conduct in carrying out program assignments;
     e. Innovations in response and preparedness to pollution
incidents; and
     f. Furthering the goals and objectives of the MER program.
2. The 2022 Wallace Award Individual Response recipient is MST2
Hayden Hunt, stationed at Sector Key West. Showing exceptional
devotion to duty, MST2 Hunt began an investigation after receiving
multiple reports of a mystery sheen at Safe Harbor, Stock Island.
After collecting and submitting samples to the Marine Safety
Laboratory, MST2 Hunt discovered there were underground diesel
tanks, with a total capacity of three million gallons of diesel that
had been discharging into the waterways. MST2 Hunt used multiple
innovative response tactics, including the use of hydrogen peroxide
injectors only used previously in inland cases, to help mitigate the
discharge and impacted waterways, which are considered a National
Marine Sanctuary. Additionally, MST2 Hunt was the only qualified
Federal On-Scene Coordinator's Representative (FOSCR) at Sector Key
West at the time and managed $6 million in funds from the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund over the course of 30 federalized cases.
Furthermore, he finalized the case package involving the pollution
mitigation from a NOAA designated Remediation of Underwater Legacy
Environmental Threat (RULET), the WWII era tanker MUNGER T. BALL.
MST2 exhibited a strong dedication for the Marine Environmental
Protection (MEP) mission, which is in keeping with the legacy of
RADM Sidney A. Wallace.
3. The 2022 Wallace Award Unit Response recipient is Sector New
York. Sector New York demonstrated a commitment to the MEP mission
after receiving notification of a fuel discharge within the Port of
New York. After discovering 17 contaminated vessels in the port, the
Captain of the Port shut down all arrivals and departures until the
contaminated vessels could be cleaned, and the pollution mitigated.
This response spanned four days and used 122 combined response
hours to collect evidence, manage contractors, and ensure effective
clean-up objectives were met. On a separate occasion, Sector New
York learned of a fire onboard the 600-foot tank ship ENDO BREEZE.
Sector New York coordinated both the dead ship tow back to berth, as
well as investigation efforts with the National Transportation
Safety Board. Additionally, Sector New York monitored the removal of
flammable products and ensured restoration of shipboard
firefighting equipment valued at over $1.2 million. The response
efforts shown during both cases are in keeping with the legacy of
RADM Sidney A. Wallace.
4. The 2022 Wallace Award Individual Preparedness recipient is CDR
Roxanne Jensen (retired). CDR Jensen served at District 14 for the
duration of 2022 and was an active member in the Secretariat of the
Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), working with
numerous countries throughout the Indo-Pacific region. CDR Jensen
led numerous Endangered Species Act and Essential Fish Habitat
consultations in conjunction with NOAA and, from that experience,
developed a Quick Response Guide for all FOSCRs to use during future
environmental consultations. Collaborating with international
partners from Australia and Japan, she developed a statement of work
for U.S. funding to mitigate pollution from WWII era wrecks,
originally sunk during Operation Hailstone in February 1944. CDR
Jensen's preparedness actions had resounding positive international
impacts in support of the MEP mission and demonstrate a level of
awareness and forward thinking that is in keeping with the legacy of
RADM Sidney A. Wallace.
5. The 2022 Wallace Award Unit Preparedness recipient is Sector
Anchorage. Sector Anchorage is responsible for 386 facilities
throughout the Arctic and Western Alaska, 90% of which are not on a
road system and require extensive logistics and coordination to
facilitate their inspections. Despite these challenges, Sector
Anchorage regularly engages with local municipalities and tribal
members to promote outreach and readiness across the region. By
utilizing a Marine Safety Task Force to work in conjunction with
other state and federal entities to ensure compliance across
multiple Coast Guard mission areas throughout the entire state,
Sector Anchorage has improved overall preparedness efforts across
one of the most unique, remote, and sensitive areas in the U.S.
Additionally, Sector Anchorage ensured that not only all of their
Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) were in an online database,
but also included high resolution imagery so responders could have
extensive visual aids of unique and specific landscapes when
planning a response. These preparedness efforts proved crucial to
the response of Typhoon MERBOK, which impacted thousands of miles of
Alaskan coastline, by ensuring that both GIS-based GRS and overall
mobile access via an online platform were made available to field
responders. Furthermore, in preparation for complex incidents,
Sector Anchorage collaborated with COMDT (CG-OEM) to develop a tool
within the Teams application to facilitate improved communications
and documentation efforts for Incident Management Teams throughout
the Coast Guard. The efforts undergone by Sector Anchorage show a
devotion to duty that is in keeping with the legacy of RADM
Sidney A. Wallace.
6. The 2022 Wallace Award Team recipient is the Incident Management
Team for the grounding of the M/V EVER FORWARD. This response
utilized the skills and efforts of 180 Coast Guard members from 14
different Coast Guard units over the course of 36 days. M/V EVER
FORWARD ran aground outside of the Chesapeake Bay on March 13, 2022,
with over 750,000 gallons of mixed fuels onboard that posed a
substantial threat to the environment. The team supervised the
dredging of over 200,000 cubic yards of material and used the
innovative approach of removing 505 shipping containers to support
the refloating of the vessel. During these operations, numerous
small boat operators and cutter crews worked to enforce the special
regulations and safety zones set around the work site. The time and
effort taken by all Team members during this response are
commendable and are in keeping with the legacy of RADM Sidney A.
Wallace.
7. BZ to all our above winners. The selection process was thorough
and thoughtful. All units and members should be proud of their
continued efforts to support the MER mission. Although only one
recipient for each category could be selected, it is my honor to
provide the following honorable mentions:
     a. Individual Response: MST1 Zachary Strack, Pacific Strike Team
     b. Unit Response: Gulf Strike Team
     c. Individual Preparedness: MSSR Samantha Fisher, Sector
Anchorage
     d. Unit Preparedness: Sector Boston
     e. Team: ALEUTIAN ISLE Incident Management Team
8. In addition to the extraordinary achievements noted by the
Wallace Award Unit and Individual recipients, I applaud the
continued environmental response and preparedness efforts conducted
on a day-to-day basis. Stay safe in the field and we look forward to
reviewing next year's submissions. Semper Paratus!
9. POC: LT Allison Rychtanek, COMDT (CG-MER) at
Allison.L.Rychtanek@uscg.mil or (202) 372-2248.
10. Ms. Dana S. Tulis, Director of Emergency Management (CG-5RI),
sends.
11. Internet release is authorized.