Corinthos; Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania

Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania | 1975-Jan-31

Initial Notification: At approximately 0030, on January 31, 1975, Corinthos was rammed as the Edgar M. Queeny maneuvered away from its dock. The Corinthos was in the process of offloading 315,000 barrels of Algerian crude oil at the British Petroleum terminal at Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. The resulting explosion and fire reportedly shot flames 400-500 feet up into the air. The Corinthos ' hull split and sank, while continuing to smolder until February 6. The Edgar M. Queeny was carrying phenol, vinyl acetate, and paraffin at the time of the incident. Approximately 2,000 barrels of paraffin were released as a result of the impact. Twenty six of the forty-four people aboard the Corinthos lost their lives as a result of the collision, explosion, and fire. Although the Edgar M. Queeny also caught fire, no fatalities were reported on that vessel. Coast Guard personnel monitored the fire and pollution, controlled traffic and patrolled the security zone during the response. Pollution contractors were on scene within seventy-seven minutes of notification. Response personnel began booming creeks and wildlife areas immediately. Oiled waterfowl were taken to a cleaning facility at a New Jersey Armory. The Regional Response Team (RRT) was activated from January 31 through February 5. Coast Guard personnel from Marine Safety Office Philadelphia and the Atlantic Strike Team (AST) responded to the spill. Other response agencies included the Philadelphia City Fire Department, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy. During 1976, the two sections of the sunken Corinthos were raised and towed to Camden, New Jersey to be scrapped. USCG district 1. Keyword: Manual removal, collision, boom, Atlantic Strike Team (AST), fire, explosion, sinking, Regional Response Team, salvage..