On March 11th,2011 after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan a tsunami wave crossed the Pacific Ocean landing squarely in Crescent City,California. Our crews were activated by the US Coast Guard to provide environmental and diving services necessary to address the immediate pollution threat caused by the tsunami,which damaged 30 vessels in the Crescent City Inner Harbor on the coast of Northern California.
Our initial response was directed to contain fuel which had already leaked from the various vessels,as well as to prevent fuels and oils on-board from further release. The initial dive tasks focused on surveying the wreckage and addressing the pollutants. During the survey,it was observed that several of the sunken wrecks were piled on top of each other,making it unsafe for divers to access points of release and fully seal leaks. Divers were able to seal exposed ports and remove fuel from the tanks of vessels they could access.
To safely remove the unstable vessels a derrick barge was brought in from San Francisco. Divers used straps and slings to rig the larger,more intact sunken wrecks to lift them from the water A clam bucket was used grip the smaller and more severely damaged vessels. All wrecks were transported to shore for proper upland disposal.
In all 10 sunken vessels were removed from the Inner Harbor. Over 400 gallons of fuel and oily waste were contained and properly disposed of.
A Global Diving & Salvage environmental team stands by aboard the support vessel “Faith Nicole” at a refinery near San Francisco Bay during an oil transfer between a ship and the shore-side facility. Our crew onboard the “Faith Nicole” is responsible for deploying oil containment boom from the pier in the event of a spill during the transfer.
Crews raised a heavy 38 ft wooden vessel using lift bags. The vessel was then patched and pumped for delivery to a demolition site per client instructions.
Global Diving & Salvage,Inc. responded to the rescue of the shipwrecked 42’ F/V fishing vessel,hard aground on the rocky shore of Latouche Island,a remote island near the western entrance to Alaska’s pristine Prince William Sound. Global’s response included a salvage master and crew equipped to quickly mitigate the threat to the extremely sensitive marine environment through the safe recovery of fuel and other oils from the vessel. The RUFFIAN was subsequently patched,successfully refloated and towed to Whittier,Alaska where she was safely delivered to her owner.
The M/Y SCOUT suffered catastrophic flooding and was abandoned near the entrance to the Straits of Juan De Fuca. Global Diving & Salvage was engaged to recover and salvage the wreck. After extensive air and surface searching by USCG assets the wreck was located by a passing fishing vessel at 48 28.9N,124 41.8W,in the middle of the shipping lanes,2.5 miles ESE of the JA buoy. Utilizing the Neah Bay based rescue tug JEFFREY FOSS Global towed the vessel into Neah Bay,WA where she was successfully patched and refloated with the assistance of a Bergerson Construction derrick. Diesel fuel oil and other HAZMAT were removed.
While in operation,the Asarco Smelter in Tacoma released heavy metals which have settled onto many yards in the Ruston Way neighborhood of Tacoma. The site is now among the largest Superfund Sites in the Puget Sound.
Global Diving is providing assistance with the removal of contaminated soil from over 60 household yards in the area. The 12 man team operates a variety of equipment including skid steer loaders,dump trucks and excavators to assist with the removal and materials handling.
Existing soils,previously tested,are removed from the designated yards and transported for proper disposal. New materials; including soil,gravel and sod are brought in to replace that material which was removed.
Global Diving & Salvage was contracted by a local dredge company to clean up oil spilled from a sunken tugboat near Pittsburg,CA. The Global crew deployed containment boom,sorbents,and a skimmer to contain and recover the oil that spilled from the tug. After the tug owner re-floated the vessel,Global crews defueled the vessel and removed over 3,000 gallons of oil and water from the bilge to a Baker tank onshore.
Global Diving & Salvage,Inc. was contracted by the Vallejo Marina to raise a 42’ sunken vessel and to respond to pollution released as a result of the sinking. Oil containment boom was deployed around the sunken vessel while divers placed heavy lift straps under the hull of the vessel. CS Marine of Vallejo,CA provided a derrick crane which was used to raise the vessel to the surface while the Global crew dewatered the vessel and conducted damage control. The vessel was towed to a nearby haul out facility where it awaits demolition and disposal.
Installation of 54 sacrificial anodes weighing approximately 100lbs each,welded in place at/or near mud line on steel pylons supporting the pier. The implementation of 120 floatation billets with dimensions of 1’ x 1’ x 4’ and approximately 250lbs of lift,for dock flotation. The salvage and removal of a sunken derelict vessel and any associated on board hazardous materials.
Global was hired to measure and weigh sections of a contaminated concrete from a broken up slab to be loaded into containers and transported by barge. Precise measurements were necessary not to exceed maximum crane capacity,but it was not possible to have specific equipment available due to the remote location of the project. To ensure the containers would not be overloaded an engineering firm created a formula using the weight of a few sample pieces of slab based on measurements. Onsite a field tech from Global measured and estimated the weight for each piece. All containers came in under the weight and were picked up by barge company without issue.
