Tugboat capsizes, spills fuel at Norfolk’s 6M Dominion yard

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:

 

(NORFOLK, Va.) — Coast Guard investigators from Sector Hampton Roads in Portsmouth, Va., are monitoring the response to a diesel spill from a tug boat that capsized in the 6M Dominion Terminal Yard near the Campostella Bridge in Norfolk Monday.

 
The National Response Center notified Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders at 5:54 a.m. that the tug Susan Ann had capsized while moored at the facility, resulting in a spill of up to 1,000 gallons of fuel.
Norfolk Fire Department personnel arrived on scene first and deployed absorbent pads to mitigate the spill while waiting for Accurate Marine Environmental and Coast Guard personnel to arrive.
Accurate has contained the spill, and the tug owner is recovering the fuel, determined to be approximately 700 gallons. The tug owner has re-floated the vessel.
The Coast Guard investigators are working to determine the cause.
“The Coast Guard will actively monitor this situation over the next few days to make sure the oil is not only contained, but recovered,” said  Capt. John Little, deputy commander of Sector Hampton Roads.
By Professional Mariner Staff