Bouchard Barge 160; Long Island Sound, NY

Long Island Sound, NY | 2003-Jun-07

Initial Notification: On 07JUN03, at approx. 0830, MSFO Long Island personnel received call from Group/MSO Long Island Sound that Bouchard Barge B NO. 160, 3 miles off of Riverhead, NY, Long Island Sound, was releasing # 6 oil and creating a sheen. After receiving permission from the facility, the barge returned to the Conoco Philips Platform in Riverhead, NY, where they had just finished loading 110K gals of #6 oil. The sheen was first noticed at 0720 by the barge captain, Joe Barrett, when the barge was 2 miles east of the platform. The barge returned to the platform and moored at 0945. Bouchard Transportation hired Miller Environmental Group (MEG) and the National Response Corporation to address pollution concerns. MEG boomed the barge and had two boats standing by on scene. MSFO pollution investigator and MSFO marine inspector arrived on scene at approx 1000 and observed that the barge was intermittently sheening from under the water line at the bow. A Notice of Federal Interest was issued. The barge had not been involved in any grounding, allisions, or collisions since the crew had been on board. Bouchard hired divers to locate the source of the release. At 1730 the divers reported a hairline crack, approx 6-12" long, on the bottom of number one starboard tank. The divers were able to secure the release by placing an epoxy patch on the crack. A CG-835 was issued to the barge prohibiting the transfer of oil, after discharging at Riverhead, until the barge was presented for inspection and repairs were made. The B NO. 160 was giving permission to discharge her product back to the facility. They completed transfer at 1030 on 08JUN03, and the barge made way for dry docking and repairs in Staten Island, NY. The pictures taken by inspectors from ACTNY show a 10-12" hairline crack that was located in the #1 starboard cargo tank bottom. The fracture is apparently in way of a consistently stressed area of the barge where the forward rake slopes down to meet the forward tanks. This causes fractures in the weld supports and bottom longitudinals. It is believed that this crack is a result of an area that has been affected by heat to repair these longitudinals numerous times. NOAA supplied sensitive area information, trajectory and weather support to the FOSC. No oil was observed on any shoreline areas.