Port of Long Beach: Container spill clean-up makes progress

The U.S. Coast Guard evaluates the stability of the containership Mississippi after shipping containers fell overboard Sept. 9 in the Port of Long Beach. [Photo: U.S. Coast Guard]

Salvage and recovery operations continue on the Mississippi, the 5,500 TEU Zim-chartered containership at the center of last week’s container spill incident that saw nearly 70 boxes d into the water at the Port of Long Beach’s Pier G .

The Unified Command responding to the incident says that all unaffected containers on the ship have been secured as of 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14.Salvage experts and port labor working alongside federal, state, and local agencies will continue securing containers that fell from the two affected bays of the ship in the coming days.

“In just a few days, we have made significant progress in securing the vessel cargo and recovering containers — all while maintaining the highest standards of safety for response workers and crew onboard the vessel,” said Capt. Stacey Crecy, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles – Long Beach. “This progress was made possible due to the dedication of all participating agencies, vessel managers, the Port of Long Beach, the ITS terminal, and highly skilled ILWU labor working together. Our commitment to safety and collaboration will continue to guide us through the next phases of recovery.”

To date, 32 containers have been recovered from the water around the Mississippi. No signs of pollution have been observed since the initial leak from the STAX Engineering emissions-collection barge damaged in the incident was secured on Sept. 10.

The Unified Command continues to conduct surveys, drone overflights, and dive operations to inform the next steps of the response.

The Unified Command says that its top priority remains the safety of response workers, the vessel’s crew, and general public, followed closely by the protection and stewardship of the surrounding environment.

Cargo operations at the Port of Long Beach are ongoing and remain largely unaffected by the incident. A 500-yard safety zone is in effect around the Mississippi. The Coast Guard, Jacobsen Pilot Service, and the Port of Long Beach are working together to facilitate navigation of commercial vessels in accordance with the safety zone. Non-responding personnel are asked to avoid the affected area until further notice. The Coast Guard is broadcasting marine safety information to alert mariners of navigation hazards.

The investigation into the container spill, led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board, is ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.