Barge MM-53 Evening ReportHighlights: 30 January 2006

• Met with one of the two state trustees for Indiana (IDNR, John Davis) and offered briefings to the IDEM, Beth Admyer and the Kentucky state trustee: LaJuana Wilcher, Secretary Environmental and Public Protection.

• Participated in a press conference with RP, SOSC & FOSC• Discussed specific properties of “64-22 Asphalt” with engineers from

Exxon/Mobil, one of the chief manufacturers of the product (see future slide).

• Discussed with states collection of samples for the purpose of injury assessments. This is an ongoing discussion, as NOAA does not have a strong trust resource concern here, both NOAA and USFWS (via Tony Velasco) have offered support to their efforts. It remains unclear what their course of action will be.

• Discussed the physical characteristics of “64-22 Asphalt” with engineers and scientists from Exxon/Mobil, one of the chief manufacturers of the product (discussion to follow).

64-22 Asphalt

• Most common paving asphalt used in the United States

• The “64-22” refers to the recommended maximum working temperatures of the product (64° C to -22° C) (148° F to -8° F)

• The product remains plastic within this range and liquid above 200° F.

• They (Exxon/Mobil) pointed out that this material (with stone added) is the same material used for highways in such places as the Nevada desert, where ambient temperatures are extreme, and yet heavy traffic continues to use the surface without difficulty.

• They do not measure pour point because the number has no use to them.

Barge MM-53 Evening ReportHighlights: 31 January 2006

• Continued to try to determine the furthest extent of floating asphalt groundings. – The RP sent a boat survey along the Kentucky shoreline (findings to follow)– The RP, their science rep. and the NOAA-SSC drove 38 river miles to the first major

bend in the river (see later slide for map) to exam a sandbar exposed as the water level falls. In addition, this group stopped where observations could be made without significantly accessing private property and observed the shoreline. No tar was observed. The goal was the begin scaling the problem of floating tar (floating mechanism discussed in previous report).

• Water column sampling was arranged through the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). Is was agreed by the UC that as this is an organization funded by both state and federal programs and charged with monitoring drinking water standards along the river, that it could act for all stakeholders. At issue is the continued (albeit slow) release of thermal oil from the barge.

• River conditions finally lent themselves to side-scan sonar operations. These were conducted near the barge to determine if the tar deposits were localized (discussed in later slide).

Barge MM-53 Evening ReportFuture Activities

• Side-scan sonar (SSS) operations will be extended to down river areas, within a mile of the barge. It is likely that the NOAA-SSC and the RP science rep. will accompany the SSS on a small part of the mission to observe and direct.

• Salvage equipment is expected to be on scene tomorrow (01 Feb.). The salvage is predicted to take as long as six weeks.

• Options for recovery of tar/asphalt

• On-Scene– Steve Lehmann, SSC

– Renn Hansen, Situation Unit

31 January 2006

Photos courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Thermal oil continues asa slow leak. Sorbent boomremains in place & changed daily

Photos courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Kentucky DEP collects samples

Photos courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Side-Scan Sonar

• The RP conducted side-scan sonar surveys of the barge today & 100 feet down stream. This is the first day that the current has been slow enough to obtain relatively clear images.

• The results showed substantial oiling on the deck of the barge, up to one foot thick, but no great deposits on the river floor as was hoped.

• Deposits were located in an eddy behind the bow rake of the barge and tailing off the rake.

Asphalt Deposits

Cur

rent

s

Barge MM-53

Side-Scan Sonar31 January 2006

100 feet

Extent of downriver survey

eddy

Asphalt coating on bargedecking up to 1 foot thick

Asphalt “piles” approx. 6 ft diam.by 5 ft high

Future side-scan sonar surveys

• The side-scan sonar will be deploy tomorrow (01 Feb) to survey from the boat launch to the barge (approx. 1 mile).

• It is hoped that larger deposits of tar will be discovered in this area.

Side-scan SONAR missionfor 01 Feb. 06

Launch

Barge

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Found: 4 miles from the barge on the Kentucky shoreline. It is likely that this in the piece knocked from the barge earlier the morning during an operations survey

Broken end

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Similar to piece broken from barge this morning

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS

Stop shoreline inspections todayThe RP and NOAA inspected several shoreline areasfor evidence of floating asphalt. There was no oil observed.Oil found remains very sporadic with no identifiable pattern.

Typical river sandbar

Photo courtesy of Andrew Melanis, WQIS