Maritime, Port Incidents Hit South Texas
Unrelated accidents recently struck the south Texas coastal region as a fishing vessel required a United States Coast Guard rescue when it began taking on water, a dredging vessel ran aground, and a broken pipeline resulted in a vegetable oil spill. The incidents, for which there are no reported personal injuries, highlight the variety of risks associated with routine maritime operations across the Gulf Coast.
The Coast Guard reported on January 21 that it was responding to a call from a fishing vessel in distress some 50 miles out to sea off Corpus Christi, Texas. The captain of the Ella Deonna, a 65-foot long-liner fishing vessel, radioed that the vessel was taking on water in its engine room.
The Coast Guard launched an Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and crew, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium and crew from Station Port Aransas, and the Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack to the scene. The helicopter arrived on-scene and delivered a dewatering pump to the Ella Deonna [video]. According to Dolphin pilot Lt. Rob Stotz, "The crew of this boat was proactive," and the "boat is still floating because they were prepared with patching equipment and the crew was knowledgable."
Separately, media reports indicate that several days later, on January 24, a dredging vessel ran aground near South Padre Island, Texas. The 305-foot cutter Texas, a suction dredge vessel, ran aground at a Brownsville-Santiago Pass jetty during difficult weather. The vessel, owned by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, suffered significant damage and was towed to Port Isabel for repairs. The crew apparently minimized the risk of environmental pollution by transferring fuel into undamaged onboard tanks. The dredge was in the area under contract with the Army Corps of Engineers as part of a project to improve the Brownsville Ship Channel and assist in renourishment of South Padre Island beaches. An investigating officer with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi noted that the accident was being reviewed to determine if negligence was involved.
Most recently, a pipeline ruptured at the Port of Brownsville on January 25, leading to a release of vegetable oil into the Brownsville Ship Channel. The spill reportedly occurred when the oil was being transferred between containers at the TransMontaigne facility; the spilled oil then made its way down an abandoned pipe that ran beneath the channel, causing a leak into the water. Company personnel, port staff, Coast Guard personnel, and the Spill Response Team of the Texas General Land Office responded. Ultimately the spill was corralled by a containment boom. A cleanup contractor was retained, who set to work toward recovery of an estimated 150 barrels of the vegetable oil.
It's fortunate that, apparently, no person was injured during the recent incidents. All too often the hazards of employment in the maritime environment result in serious injuries to workers, leaving them unable to provide for themselves and their families.
If you have any questions regarding a maritime incident or have suffered a maritime injury, contact a maritime attorney online at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation or call our maritime law office toll free at 866-2606.
The Cosco Busan collision in 2007, which caused a major environmental disaster, was attributed to pilot error and incompetence. The pilot in that accident was taking prescription medication and failed to notify his employer. The collision with the Bay Bridge caused nearly 58,000 gallons of oil to spill into the San Francisco Bay. Millions of dollars were spent on clean-up operations and local fishermen were deprived of their livelihoods when the fishing season was postponed as a result of the accident.
Proper lookouts, use of technology designed to detect vessels, and the competence of crew members can prevent vessel collisions. If safety precautions like these are not taken and injuries occur, it is possible the employer may be held responsible.
Fishing does not have to be a dangerous activity, but it often involves injuries and deaths, including drowning accidents, explosions, fires, and other vessel-related accidents. In 1998, the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act was passed to improve safety standards in the lucrative, but dangerous fishing industry. The U.S. Coast Guard enforces the regulations of the Act, which involves helping rescue crew members after a vessel is lost. These regulations require that vessels engaged in commercial fishing activities have safety equipment on board, including life rafts. Boats must be equipped with flares, survival kits, and personal flotation devices.
The worker, Pedro Perez, was employed by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company in Galveston County back in the sixties. According to the lawsuit filed by a .jpg)
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The enhancements are expected to bring in more than $400 million in extra revenue for the port and could lead to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs. That is good news, not only for the port and its maritime workers, but also for the larger Galveston community..jpg)
Soon after Ike, the district used its own funds to make temporary repairs to the bridge; FEMA assured the district it would be reimbursed for money spent on repairs by mid March. That was before FEMA realized it may not be responsible for the funding after all.
Fortunately, there were no injuries on board the Gilchrist. Fires on a water craft are often linked to explosions; the fire on the Gilchrist appears to have ignited in the engine. This can happen due to improper maintenance of the fuel system. Fires can also break out due to electrocution, when the vessel comes in contact with a live power line.
It appears that the drilling company was negligent in providing a safe working environment for Jesus Perez. The opening of the platform that Perez fell into, according to the lawsuit, was the result of misplaced grading; the drilling company was responsible for making sure that such potential hazards were absent from the platform.
Galveston County Navigation District No.1 paid Texas Gulf Company $1.5 million to repair the bridge, but in early February the project was shut down due to shortage of funds. A local contractor Lamson Nguyen has agreed to take up the task of filling potholes on the bridge free of cost. However, the fact is that the 50-year-old bridge is in need of permanent repairs. The district has no funds available to continue the work and has requested $6 million from the .jpg)
The ports will receive $4 million each from the .gif)
New infrastructure will also add to the efficiency of cargo shipping operations from the industrial plants on Chemical Row. Port of Beaumont's investment of the federal funds is expected to create hundreds of jobs, in addition to increasing the capabilities of the port by at least 50%. The Orange County property will include deep access capabilities, as well as development of a new dock. The port will not depend solely on federal funds to finance these ambitious new infrastructure projects. According to Chris Fisher, Port of Beaumont's executive director, the total funding from the Economic Development Administration is $134 million and has been distributed to other Texas ports, as well as ports in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico..jpg)
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for close to 7.5 hours before help arrived. The investigation found that the accident was caused because of the pilots' slow response when the first engine failed. The board concluded that the slow response was probably due to high stress levels because of the timing of the crash - one week after hurricane Katrina made landfall. The chaotic conditions soon after Katrina hit caused delays in the communication network at Houston Helicopters Inc, the company that operated the helicopter. According to the Board's report, there were several violations at Houston Helicopters Inc. which contributed to the delayed rescue efforts. Post Katrina, other offshore helicopter operators serving drilling companies in the Gulf of Mexico made alternative arrangements, so they could continue supporting helicopter flights. Houston Helicopters Inc., however, failed to make any substitute arrangements. Instead, management at the company recommended that pilots use their own cell phones to transmit important flight information to the control center. The board also found that although Houston Helicopters Inc. had a record of 8 accidents, 3 incidents and at least 18 FAA surveillance violations, there were no follow ups made to check if the company was in compliance with rules regarding alternate methods of flight following procedures. 
