Golden Ray Spill Clean-Up Continues

On the early morning of September 8, the MV Golden Ray capsized off the coast of Brunswick, GA in St Simon Sound, approximately 80 miles south of Savannah.  The exact cause of the accident has not been finally determined.  Initially, four of the twenty-four individuals on board were trapped.  They were subsequently rescued safely.  However, the ongoing environmental hazards continue now over a month later. 

Fuel and oil continue to leak from the vessel.  When the accident occurred, the ship contained roughly 300,000 gallons within its tanks.  To date, 220,000 gallons have been successfully pumped off.  Unfortunately, there have been ongoing oil slicks located in the area, as well as oil coating the plant life along shorelines.  Thousands of feet of oil spill containment boom have been deployed in the area to control the spread of the hydrocarbons and protect the shorelines.

The US Coast Guard is leading the Unified Command, a joint recovery and salvage effort between the state of Georgia, the USCG, and the shipping company Hyundai Glovis’ contractor, Gallagher Marine Systems.  Crews of up to 400 people and 70 vessels are participating in the clean-up and recovery effort. 

The plan is for the ship to be dismantled in place, as the structure of the vessel won’t allow it to be righted and re-floated safely.  Before that can take place, all the fuel and oil must be removed.  The overall assessment from the US Coast Guard implies that while the spill is serious, it could have resulted in a far greater disaster.  What oil has already escaped, however, does present potentially lasting issues for the fish and wildlife in the area, and those that make a living off those natural resources. 

Texas Boom Company is always at the ready to provide oil spill containment boom,  sorbent boom and pads, and oil skimmers for the response to these type of spill events.  It’s critical to response quickly, which means these types of oil spill containment products must be staged at the ready for a prompt response.  The spill response companies do a great job of providing resources at the ready.  TBC strives to support these oil spill removal organizations (OSRO). 

P.S.

We are adding an interesting article that looks into the cause of the capsizing of the Golden Ray.  Interesting details have come to light since the accident.  Click the image to access the article from Car and Driver.