(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan personnel are responding alongside local emergency agencies to a fuel barge that ran aground at about noon Monday off the San Juan Harbor port entrance by the San Felipe del Morro Castle.
No injuries have been reported and there are no signs of pollution. The barge currently holds approximately 1,000 gallons of residual fuel, which responders are closely monitoring to prevent any environmental impact. A 200-yard safety zone has been established around the vessel.
The Port of San Juan remains open to vessel traffic as the barge is not obstructing the harbor entrance or navigable waterway. The barge’s owner is working with the Coast Guard to develop a salvage plan.
“Weather is playing a significant role in this response,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ray Lopez, Coast Guard incident commander. “The unified command and barge owner are working diligently to safely remove the threat to the environment. We ask the public to steer clear of the area so response crews can work uninterrupted.”
Responders are operating under a small craft advisory with conditions Monday of approximately 10-foot seas and 10-mph winds.
The 265-foot barge, Defiant, was reportedly being towed inbound to San Juan Harbor from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, before the grounding occurred. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Coast Guard watch standers transmitted a marine safety information broadcast to advise maritime traffic of the incident.
Click here to view a Coast Guard video of the grounding.
– U.S. Coast Guard
