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New Carissa

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Template:Ship table 43°23.92′N 124°18.71′W / 43.39867°N 124.31183°W / 43.39867; -124.31183

The New Carissa, officially known as the M/V New Carissa, was a freighter that ran aground on a beach near Coos Bay, Oregon, United States, during a storm in February 1999 and subsequently broke apart. An attempt to tow the bow section of the ship out to sea failed when the tow line broke, and the bow was grounded again. Eventually, the bow was successfully towed out to sea and sunk. The stern section remains on the beach near Coos Bay. Fuel on board the ship was burned off in situ, but a significant amount was also spilled from the wreckage, causing ecological damage to the coastline.

The United States Coast Guard performed an investigation and found that captain's error was the main cause of the wreck, however, no criminal liability was established and the captain and crew were not charged. There were significant legal and financial consequences for the ship's owners and insurer.

There are plans in place to dismantle the stern section at its current site and remove it from the beach.

Vessel

The New Carissa was a Panamanian-flagged dry bulk freighter owned by the Japanese shipping concern Nippon Yusen Kaisha via a subsidiary, Green Atlas Shipping. The vessel was built by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. in Japan using an all-steel construction, and was laid down on August 30, 1989. The freighter was 195 m (639 ft) long and 32 m (106 ft) wide, with a draft of 10.8 m (35.5 ft) when fully loaded. It had a gross tonnage of 36,571 tons, a net tonnage of 16,524 tons, and was powered by an 8,200-bhp direct-drive diesel engine. It had a maximum crew complement of 26 sailors, and was in service hauling wood chips. The ship's home port was Manila, Philippines, and its crew at the time of its grounding consisted entirely of Philippine nationals, commanded by Benjamin Morgado. The ship was insured by Shipowners Insurance and Guaranty Company Ltd. (SIGCo) of Hamilton, Bermuda.[1]

Grounding

File:NewCarissaMap.jpeg
Incident map of the New Carissa wreck, February 14, 1999 (Courtesy NOAA)

On February 4, 1999, the New Carissa was bound for the Port of Coos Bay to pick up a load of wood chips. The ship's crew was informed by the local bar pilots that weather conditions would prevent the ship (which was empty at the time) from entering Coos Bay harbor until the next morning. The captain ordered the ship to drop anchor 1.7 nautical miles (3.1 km) off the coast in order to ride out the storm. The crew used only a single anchor to secure the ship, and according to a United States Coast Guard review of the incident, used a chain that was too short. The short chain and the weather conditions, including winds of 20-25 knots (37–46 km/h), caused the ship to drag its anchor. Poor navigational techniques and inadequate watchkeeping led to the crew's failure to notice that the ship was moving. Once movement was detected, the crew attempted to raise anchor and maneuver away from the shore, but the weather and sea conditions made this difficult. By the time the anchor was raised, the ship had been pushed too close to the shore to recover.[1]

The ship ran aground on the beach 2.7 statute miles (4.5 km) north of the entrance to Coos Bay, and attempts to refloat it failed. Two of the five fuel tanks on the ship began to leak fuel onto the beach, eventually spilling approximately 70,000 U.S. gallons (262,500 liters) of thick "bunker C" fuel oil and diesel onto the beach and into the water.[2] [3]

Neither the captain nor any of the 22-man crew was injured in the incident.

Rescue and recovery operations

Recovery operations began immediately when the grounding was first reported by the ship's crew. Several factors combined to severely complicate the operation.

Initial rescue attempts

The New Carissa, still intact shortly after running aground. (Courtesy NOAA)

Initial rescue operations were hampered by inclement weather. Attempts to move the New Carissa under her own power failed and tugboat assistance was not available immediately after the grounding. Only one tugboat was available locally, but it was unable to cross the Coos Bay bar due to safety concerns. It was also uncertain whether or not the locally-available tugboat could have successfully rescued the New Carissa. The nearest salvage tugboat capable of towing a large ship off a beach, the Salvage Chief, was moored at its home port of Astoria, Oregon, 200 statute miles (320 km) to the north, a 24–hour journey away. The Salvage Chief had not sailed in over a year, and it took 18 hours to fuel, provision, and find a crew for the ship. Once mobilized, poor weather in the Astoria area prevented the tugboat from crossing the treacherous Columbia River bar for an additional two days. The Salvage Chief did not arrive on scene until February 8, four days after the grounding occurred.[4]

Continued poor weather in the interim had driven the New Carissa closer to the shore, and the Salvage Chief, upon its arrival, was unable to reach the New Carissa with its tow gear. On February 10, the New Carissa suffered major structural failure when the hull breached near the engine room, flooding the engines with seawater (and thus disabling them). The ship's insurers declared the vessel to be a total loss. As a result, the New Carissa was no longer a salvageable vessel; instead, it had effectively become a shipwreck.[4]

Wreck recovery operations

The New Carissa's fuel tanks are ignited. (Courtesy NOAA)

Since the vessel was no longer seaworthy and could not move under its own power, even if freed from the beach, the focus of the operation changed. Oil from the ship's fuel tanks continued to pose an environmental hazard, a situation exacerbated by both the ship's structural failure and continuing pounding from the surf. In order to mitigate the situation, the United States Coast Guard set the fuel tanks on fire in order to burn off the fuel oil. Napalm and other incendiary devices were used to ignite the fuel, but it failed to burn completely. The fires contributed to the structural stress on the vessel, causing the vessel to break into two sections.

The New Carissa's fuel continues to burn as a Harbor Seal looks on. (Courtesy USCG)

On March 2, salvage vessels managed to float the 440–foot (132 m) bow section and towed it out to sea. The salvage vessels encountered another storm 40 miles (65 km) off the coast, and the tow line broke. The bow section, leaking oil, floated for fourteen hours until it ran aground near Waldport, Oregon, approximately 80 miles (130 km) to the north of the original grounding site. One week later, on March 9, the bow was again refloated and successfully towed by the tugboat Sea Victory 248 miles (400 km) off the coast, where the ocean is approximately 10,000 feet (3,000 m) deep. There, it was sunk by two United States Navy ships, the destroyer USS David R. Ray and the submarine USS Bremerton. 400 pounds of high explosives were attached to the bow and detonated.[5] 69 rounds of gunfire from the David R. Ray's 5-inch deck guns then punctured the hull, and the Bremerton fired a MK-48 torpedo at the underside of the ship. The bow section flooded as planned and sank stern-first, trapping the remaining oil within.[6]

Attempts to refloat and tow the stern section were unsuccessful. An on-site dismantling of the wreck was considered but was rejected due to environmental concerns. As of May 2006, the stern of the vessel remains on the beach, along with 1,000 gallons (3,750 liters) of fuel oil which remain in the tanks.[7]

Environmental impact

An oil-soaked bird is rescued by a cleanup worker after the New Carissa wreck. (Courtesy USCG)

The wreck of the New Carissa caused what is considered by many to be one of the most serious oil spills to affect the state of Oregon (a state which lacks oil refinery facilities and thus is not called upon by oil tankers). Analysis conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that over 3,000 shorebirds and seabirds perished. The birds were of more than 50 unique species.[8][9] Among the birds killed were 262 threatened Marbled Murrelets and between four and eight endangered Western Snowy Plovers.[10] Harbor Seals, fish, and shellfish were also killed or affected. Several beaches were fouled, with balls of tar continuing to wash up for more than a month after the wreck.[11]

Despite the large loss of marine life, the initial burning of the oil prevented what could have been a worse spill. Captain Mike Hall of the Coast Guard stated that "at least 82 percent of the oil onboard the New Carissa never reached the wildlife or the pristine shoreline of Oregon's coast".[11] The environmental impact of the sinking of the bow section was thought to be minimized since it was towed out beyond the continental shelf, into very deep water. Any remaining oil on board is unlikely to have affected marine life since the low temperatures at the bottom of the ocean would have caused it to solidify.[12]

Environmentalists and local officials are concerned that the remains of the stern section pose a continuing environmental and safety hazard.[7]

Subsequent litigation has proven expensive for the ship's owners, and an investigation into the incident delayed most of the crew's return to their home country.

Litigation

In 2001, Green Atlas Shipping and its insurer sued the United States for USD $96 million, claiming negligence on the part of the Coast Guard due to faulty nautical charts.[7] The U.S. countersued for USD $7 million in damages. In 2004, the two sides reached an agreement in which Green Atlas would pay the U.S. USD $10.5 million to assist with cleanup costs, and the U.S. paid Green Atlas USD $4  million in settlement of the faulty charts claim. The net result of the settlement was payment of USD $6.5 million to the U.S.[13] Although this was far less than the damages claimed by the U.S. for environmental cleanup and restoration costs, government officials still saw the settlement as a victory since the shipping company was forced to pay for part of the damage. However, some Coos County officials were dissatisfied with the settlement, stating that it should have instead been aimed at local business owners who were hurt by the beach's closure. [14]

The State of Oregon demanded that the ship's owners or their insurers remove the ship or pay a USD $25 million bond to cover the cost of removing the ship and for environmental damages. The state also filed a lawsuit in Coos County, demanding removal, storage fees of USD $1,500 per day, restoration of the beach, and other unspecified damages. The ship's owners alleged faulty navigational charts, failure on the part of the local bar pilots to advise the ship's crew not to anchor in the area, and an unusually strong storm surge. On November 13, 2002, a Coos County jury found the ship's owners guilty of negligent trespass, and awarded the state USD $25 million in damages. That sum was placed in escrow, pending appeal.[7] On May 23, 2006, a settlement was reached in the appeal in which the state kept USD $20 million of the USD $25 million in escrow, plus USD $2.1 million in interest earned on the escrow account. The remaining USD $5 million was returned to Green Atlas Shipping. Of the USD $22.1 million that the state was awarded in the settlement, USD $3.1 million will be used to pay the state's legal fees; the remaining USD $19 million will be used for cleanup, including the future removal of the vessel's stern.[15][16]

The New Carissa, after breaking into two sections. (Courtesy USCG)

Numerous private parties, including at least one oyster farmer whose beds were contaminated by oil, have also successfully sued for damages.[17]

Crew investigation

The captain and most of the crew of the ship—all nationals of the Philippines—had to face a U.S. Coast Guard Board of Inquiry, which required them to remain in the United States for several weeks after the wreck. In addition, a federal grand jury investigated the incident for criminal wrongdoing. Morgado refused to answer many of the questions posed at the inquiry, citing his Fifth Amendment rights. The crew was released after their testimony and returned to the Phillipines.[18] On September 16, the Coast Guard issued its findings that captain's error was the primary cause of the wreck, with the first and third officers of the ship also partly responsible. The investigation found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing and no charges were filed against any member of the New Carissa crew.[1]

Future plans

The stern of the New Carissa rests on the beach, October 7, 1999. (Courtesy USCG)

While attempts to tow the stern out to sea have failed (and have now been deemed unworkable by authorities), the state of Oregon still intends to see the remainder of the vessel removed from the beach. The settlement of the lawsuit against the ship's owners cleared the legal hurdles for removal, and provided the funds necessary to finance the project. The removal will be complicated by the fact that the ship has become deeply embedded in the sand, with some portions of the stern estimated to be 20–30 feet (6–9 m) below the sand line.[19]

A project to remove the stern by dismantling it on the beach is being planned and will begin in 2007, pending legislative approval. As of August 2006, the state is negotiating a contract with Titan Maritime Company, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation. Titan Maritime owns huge jackup barges and hydraulic pulling machines that could be able to move the stern out of the sand, allowing crews to cut it into removable pieces.[19] The project is expected to cost USD $18 million, and is contingent on approval from the state's Legislative Emergency Board, which must approve all state expenditures which are not included in appropriations bills passed by the legislature. The Oregon Department of State Lands, the regulatory agency which has authority over the state's beaches (and is overseeing the cleanup), will appear before the Board in September 2006 to request that the funds be allocated to the cleanup operation.[15]

There has been debate by local residents on whether the wrecked stern should be removed. Some local officials believe the stern, which lies on a remote area of the beach, is not a hazard. A state representative from Coos Bay called the wreck a potential tourist attraction,[20] and stated that the money from the settlement could be used to fund more beneficial programs. Others are concerned about the uncertainty surrounding Titan's removal plan, worrying that the stern will be unable to withstand the force of the hydraulic pullers and that parts of the ship already buried in the sand will be unmovable. The president of the Coos Bay city council expressed concern that the proposed removal operation could cause ecological damage that would not occur if the ship were left on the beach. He further noted that "shipwrecks on the Oregon Coast are part of our history. There are a lot of ways you could better spend the money here.”[19]

Many others argue that the ship should be removed. According to Louise Solliday, the director of the Department of State Lands, removal of the stern is necessary to demonstrate that the state is "serious about removing wrecks". She stated that if the stern were not removed, the argument that the ship is trespassing on state property (used in the state's lawsuit against the New Carissa owners) would be undermined should another vessel wreck off the Oregon coast.[16] The same sentiment was later echoed by Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. Bradbury also noted that the settlement of the lawsuit with the ship's owners leaves the state exposed to any liability issues concerning the ship.[19] Many environmentalists, as well as federal biologists and residents of the local community, remain concerned about the potential for further ecological damage should the vessel leak any of the fuel oil which remains on board.[7] The editorial board of The Oregonian argued that allowing the stern to remain would send a message that the state is willing to "tolerate permanent damage to its beaches". The paper also rejected the notion that the the wreckage should be compared to the Peter Iredale, a wooden sailing ship which wrecked on a beach near Astoria in the early 1900s, and whose remnants are a popular tourist draw.[21]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c US Coast Guard (1999-09-16). "New Carissa One-Man Formal Investigation" (Template:PDFlink). Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ "Environmental Global Issues Map: New Carissa Oil Spill on the Oregon Coast". McGraw-Hill. 1999-03. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ It is impossible to determine the exact amounts of fuel oil and diesel that were spilled. The figure most commonly quoted by both media and government sources is 70,000 gallons. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has noted that some estimates ranged from 25,000 to 140,000 gallons (93,750–525,000 liters).
  4. ^ a b Review Committee, M. Lehman-Chair; et al. (2000-04). "New Carissa: Report and Recommendations to the Governor of the State of Oregon" (Template:PDFlink). Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  5. ^ Coast Cuard Unified Command (1999-04-19). "Final Disposal Operations memorandum" (Template:PDFlink). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ ""Bow of New Carissa Sinks to Resting Site"" (Press release). New Carissa joint information center. 1999-03-11. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite press release}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e ""The Wreck of the New Carissa"". Land and Waterway Management. Oregon Department of State Lands. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
  8. ^ "The New Carissa Damage Assessment Restoration Plan "Q&A"" (Template:PDFlink). US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Merems, Arlene (1999-09-15). "Morgue species count update (memorandum)" (Template:PDFlink). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ Skrabis, Kristin E. PhD. (2005-05-24). "Resource Equivalency Analysis for Western Snowy Plover" (Template:PDFlink). US Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ a b "Oil Skimmer Oregon Responder Does Not Find Oil After Bow of New Carissa Sinks" (Press release). New Carissa joint information center. 1999-03-12. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite press release}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "New Carissa Midway to Final Resting Place" (Press release). New Carissa joint information center. 1999-03-09. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite press release}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "The Wreck of the New Carissa timeline". Land and Waterway Management. Oregon Department of State Lands. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
  14. ^ "U.S. agrees on New Carissa settlement". Associated Press. 2004-06-10. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
  15. ^ a b "State Land Board approves settlement to remove wreckage of New Carissa" (Press release). Oregon Department of State Lands. 2006-05-23. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
  16. ^ a b O'Neill, Patrick (2006-05-24). "Channel cleared for New Carissa's last trip". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
  17. ^ "A 1999 Cargo Disaster (A Maritime Saga): The Loss Of M/V New Carissa". The Cargo Letter. 2001-10. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Rumler, John (1999-03-11). "The Sailors Behind the Shipwreck". AsianWeek. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
  19. ^ a b c d "State Determined to Remove New Carissa". Associated Press. 2006-08-15. Retrieved 2006-06-15.
  20. ^ McCall, William (2006-05-23). "Land board settles New Carissa shipwreck cleanup for $22 million". Associated Press. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
  21. ^ "Beach cleanup: The New Carissa must go". The Oregonian. 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2006-08-16.

References

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