Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Task Force Meeting

Sector Columbia RiverOn-Scene Coordinator Report

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014Salem, Oregon

U.S. COAST GUARD SECTOR COLUMBIA RIVERIncident Management Division

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY33 CFR 3.65-15 / ACP 1000-8 thru 1000-12

SECTOR COLUMBIA RIVERCaptain of the Port | Federal On-Scene Coordinator

CAPT Dan TraversSector Commander/AIRSTA CO

CDR Nevada SmithLogs, Airsta XO,

CO of Enlisted Personnel

CDR William GibbonsChief, Response

CAPT Sean MacKenzieDeputy, Sector Commander

LCDR Tony KenneChief, Planning & Force Readiness

LT Rebecca CheneyChief, Intelligence

CAPT Pat RoppMSU Portland/

Chief, Prevention OSCM Brett VerHulstCommand Master Chief

LT Gregory Hazlett, USNChaplain

CDR William DronenChief, Air Operations

LCDR John TitchenChief, IMD

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT DIVISIONMission

The 20-person Incident Management Division at Sector Columbia River responds to all pollution threats along the Columbia River, and the coastlines and navigable waters of Oregon and southern Washington state.

TYPICAL CASES:• Mystery sheens• Sunken vessels• Grounded vessels• Mystery drums• Facility discharges

and releases• Vessel discharges

and releases• Exercises• Derelict vessels• Japan Tsunami

marine debris

U.S. COAST GUARD AUTHORITIES33 U.S.C § 1953

The “Coast Guard Program,” and Marine Debris

33 U.S.C. § 1951 established the Marine Debris Program within NOAA and mentions the “Coast Guard program,” which requires “… The Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Interagency Committee …”:

• to reduce discard of plastics and other garbage from vessels;

• improve ship-board waste management;

• to “take actions to improve international cooperation to reduce marine debris”;

• to establish a voluntary reporting program for commercial vessel operators and recreational boaters to report incidents of damage to vessels and disruption of navigation caused by marine debris;

• to enforce regulations relating to the disposal of plastics and other marine debris.

COAST GUARD SUPPORT TO JTMD MISSIONSector Columbia River; Sector North Bend; Sector Puget Sound

Broadcast Notice to Mariners

Public Meetings

“SAROPS”

VHF Channel 16 (thru Rescue 21)

NWS freq

Main role: verify position

U.S. COAST GUARD AUTHORITIES14 U.S.C §88(a)(4)

Hazards to Navigation/Pollution/Salvage

14 U.S.C. §88(a)(4) authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard to “destroy or tow into port sunken or floating dangers to navigation.” Most recent example was a JTMD derelict vessel off Baranof, Alaska, last year.

33 CFR §72.01 requires the Coast Guard to provide a “Broadcast Notice to Mariners” during those evolutions.

33 U.S.C. §1321 authorizes the Coast Guard to respond to pollution (reports are made to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802).

Vessel salvage operations are complex and requires navigating a number of federal and state statutes (see, e.g., Derelict Vessel Task Force formed by the Executive Committee of the Northwest Area Contingency Plan).

COORDINATION PROCESSMariner calls, report passed, trajectory run, debris confirmed

3. Safety Marine Information Broadcast read for 4-6 hours

1. Report provided to Coast Guard Sector Command Center

2. Sector confirms w/NOAA SSC on trajectory (SAROPS optional)

4. CG asset launched (if possible)

STREAMLINED SYSTEM FOR RECORDING POS’NAll U.S. Coast Guard units can access info immediately

Logged in database as “Hazard to Navigation)”

U.S. COAST GUARD SECTOR COLUMBIA RIVERJTMD Reports: July 2012-October 2013

Mystery cylinder: Cohasset Beach, WA, 4/21/13

30’ fiberglass boat: Cannon Beach, OR, 3/21/13

Mystery cylinder: Coos Bay, OR, 5/27/13

Mystery cylinders: 3 different locations, July 2012

3’-DIAMETER GAS CYLINDERCoos Bay, OR, May 27, 2013

MYSTERY CYLINDERCohasset Beach, WA, April 21, 2013

30’ FIBERGLASS BOATCannon Beach, OR, March 21, 2013

MYSTERY CYLINDERS, JULY 2012Westport, WA to Tillamook Bay to Yaquina Head

Cylinders joined together

30’ by 10’

Similar to object on beach on June 27.

• First spotted 55nm west of Westport, WA July 18, 2012

• Next spotted 38nm northwest of Tillamook Bay, July 25, 2012

• Then spotted 25nm west of Yaquina Bay, July 29, 2012

U.S. COAST GUARD SECTOR COLUMBIA RIVEROSC Report – Oct. 28, 2014

Questions?