JUSTICE

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Latest news

Cleanup efforts continued, grounding under investigation

Federal, state and local agencies on Mar 21 continued to monitor clean up and recovery efforts after the "Justice" grounded at the southern end of Cape Cod Canal in the morning, closing the canal for several hours. An incident command post was established at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to assess pollution, coordinate clean up efforts and the removal of debris left from the "Justice" that ran aground, damaging its propulsion system and discharging approximately 330 gallons of gear oil into the waters of Buzzards Bay. The tug had sustained damage to its starboard drive and lost its propeller. No reports of injuries. The incident remains under investigation. Report with photos: http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/1732375/UPDATE-Clean-up-continues-after-tug-grounds-in-Buzzards-Bay-imagery-available-

Tug lost oil after grounding

About 350 gallons of gear oil was spilled when the "Justice" ran aground in Buzzards Bay near the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal close to the Stony Point Dyke, Warehamjust after midnight on Mar 21, 2013. It has now been towed to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and was no longer leaking oil. There was an oil sheen on the water from the academy to Butler Cove. The sheen is reported to be gear oil from the tugboat’s propulsion drive, which was damaged in the grounding. A unified team of federal, state and port partners were responding to the oil sheen. Investigators from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, boat crews from Station Cape Cod Canal, and an aircrew from Air Station Cape Cod alongside state and local partners were assessing the accident. Inspectors have confirmed that no fuel oil from the tug leaked into Buzzards Bay, and that a potential 630 gallons of gear oil discharged into the water after the grounding. Drug and alcohol testing was administered to the tug's crew and completed; results of the tests pend. In total, the tug can hold up to 38,000 gallons of fuel oil and approximately 630 gallons of gear oil. A unified command comprised of Coast Guard, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and representatives of Wareham and Bourne were working together to mitigate any impact from the incident. The owner of the tug, the Reinauer Transportation Companies, LLC from Staten Island, N.Y.has reported that the damaged engine unit has been located and a recovery effort to remove it from the waterway is underway. The Army Corps of Engineers have reopened the Canal, which was closed for a time early in the morning. Reports with photo and video: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130321/NEWS/130329991/-1/TOWN1001 http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/03/21/tug-boat-spills-350-gallons-of-oil-in-buzzards-bay/

Tug raised by crane

A heavy lift crane hoisted the "Justice" from the bottom of the Mississippi River and refloated it on Mar 7 in St. James Parish. McKinney Salvage and Heavy Lift Inc. of Baton Rouge, arrived on scene in the morning and were able to lift the vessel which was expected to remain on the water for a few days. The Justice went down around midnight on Mar 5 after taking on water. Three crew members aboard the tug were able to get off before it sank. It had just finished moving a barge. Coast Guard responders had been overseeing pollution response operations since 6 a.m. Mar 6. Floating containment boom had been deployed around the vessel as it rested on the river bottom, and Coast Guard personnel were watching for any effects on the shoreline. The Coast Guard was investigating the cause of the incident.