Members from IMD, Honolulu Fire Department Hazardous Material team, the Hawaii State Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response office and the Pacific Environmental Corporation came to inspect the drum and take samples of the product to identify it. The drum was removed from the area with no signs of pollution to the surrounding area.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Kevin Cooper
REPORT FROM THE US COAST GUARD – Coast Guard investigators and state a state hazardous materials crew responded to a report of a 55 gallon mystery drum on Malapu’u Beach, Wednesday.
The Hawaii State Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office notified the Coast Guard of the 55 gallon mystery drum with no markings and full of unknown material. Honolulu Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials team and representatives from the Coast Guard Incident Management Division responded to the report. The Fire Department removed the drum from the water onto the beach, where it was marked with caution tape. The Coast Guard accessed the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted the Pacific Environmental Corporation to conduct clean-up and removal efforts.
Contractors successfully removed the drum from the beach after determining that it was full of marine diesel fuel. No responsible party has been identified at this time. There were no signs of pollution to the surrounding area.
“This successful mystery drum recovery highlights our effective partnerships with the State of Hawaii and Honolulu County emergency responders,” said Lt. Kevin Cooper, assistant division chief of the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Incident Management Division. “At the end of the day, 55 gallons of diesel fuel was prevented from spilling onto Hawaiian lands or into Hawaiian waters.”
As America’s maritime first responder, Coast Guard teams in Hawaii are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to investigate reports of pollution incidents and other threats to the environment. The members of the Incident Management Division pair their response expertise with that of other agencies to provide fast, flexible response to crisis.
For more information on this case or the daily mission of the Coast Guard Incident Management Division contact the Sector Honolulu public affairs officer, Lt. Kevin Cooper, at 808-842-2657.
For more information about the Coast Guard’s environmental mission, visit:https://www.gocoastguard.com/discovering-our-roles/maritime-stewardship
[…] Coast Guard Responds to Abandoned Drum on Makapu'u BeachHawaii Reporter, on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:37:50 -0800Members from IMD, Honolulu Fire Department Hazardous Material team, the Hawaii State Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response office and the Pacific Environmental Corporation came to inspect the drum and take samples of the product to identify it. […]
Maybe they should be thankful that the owner had the drum sealed properly.
The drum probably fell off a cargo barge on the way to deliver taxpayer funded food and supplies to Molokai.
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