During operations with a barge alongside to transfer ethanol cargo, the 443-foot chemical carrier Sichem Defiance sustained an implosion on board. The main deck over a cargo tank collapsed and adjacent bulkheads were breeched. The ship's cargo consisted of benzene LAB and ethanol, a dangerously volatile liquid.
Following the violent event, the ship's captain immediately notified federal and port authorities. USCG dispatched a response team from its Atlantic Strike Team based at Fort Dix, NJ, and FDNY, having responsibility for hazardous material spills on city waters, set up an Incident Command Post in the vessel's wheelhouse with a Marine Battalion Commander in charge.
The ship also notified Resolve, the vessel's salvage response contractor, who sent casualty response engineers on board to address safety issues, survey damages, and develop an action plan to prevent another explosion, fire or spill. The Resolve team worked with FDNY and USCG experts to mitigate potential threats to the crews on board and the local populace, and assumed emergency pumping and air monitoring duties.
Resolve developed an emergency operations plan based on tank loading conditions and assessments of the implosion damage's effect on the ship's structural integrity and stability. Following the plan's review by the ship and USCG engineers and all-hands safety briefings on board, portable pumps were used to transfer residual cargo and ballast from damaged tanks. The damaged tanks were flushed and vented to put the ship in stable condition.
Resolve Marine Group Inc. provides emergency response around the world to vessels in distress. The Salvage and Fire division specializes in Emergency Lightering, Firefighting VPR Plan Assistance, and OPA 90 Coverage. For more information, please visit www.resolvesalvage.com.
