User:Pdeitiker/USCG Investigation into Southern Scrap Metal Corperation

During Hurricane Katrina (2005) levees were breached because of storm surge and/or vessels impacting levees as a result of high winds. Vessels such as ING 4727 created a concern because the momentum in such vessels easily detroyed structures once they are freed from the moorings. As a consequence, the situation within the New Orleans Inner Harbor Navigation Canal(Industrial Canal) became a concern of the US Coast Guard. As the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season became active, vessel owners along the Industrial Canal were requested by the Coast Guard to provide additional restraints on vessels in the canal. During Hurricane Gustav (2008) at least 2 groups of vessels, for a total of 70, broke loose from their moorings along New Orleans Industrial Canal. One group of ships, including a retired freighter and two barges threatened an important natural gas pipeline and damaged an embankment to a railroad bridge. One of the barges slammed into a warehouse on one of the wharfs causing partial destruction. Another group of tethered ships impacted an expensive elevated bridge for vehicular traffic. This group of ships were stopped short of endangering a flood water pumping system for New Orleans Upper 9th Ward. Other barges that broke loose from their moorings damaged retaining walls and could have endangered the critical levee system for New Orleans.

Recent reports indicate that all 70 vessels were propertly of Southern Scrap Metal Corporation (SSMC), a salvage company located at the intersection of the Industrial Canal and the Intercoastal Waterway. This waterway provides deep water access to the Gulf of Mexico via MRGO. The US Coast Guard reported they advised this company to double mooring lines to the vessels and to anchor ships 'close'. As a consequence of the political stir and damage created the US Coast Guard has ordered all vessels in the Canal either sunk or removed in of gale force conditions. In addition, SSMC has been restricted from keeping any large vessels for the duration of the 2008 hurricane season. A survey of the loose ships indicated that restaining advice was not follow and consequently the US Coast Guard began an investigation of the activities of SSMC prior to Gustav.

two involved in critical incidences, were delivered mid-August, 2008.

The L & N railroad bridge itself was also involved in a separate incident as it was left in the closed position even though it was known it might flood during the storm surge and that sea water could short out controls making it difficult to reopen if it was required to evacuate water craft, as would be needed for subsequent storms. In addition the locks that allow large vessels to enter the canal from the Mississippi had been closed for 60 days of testing during the peak of hurricane season.

These incidence follow precedences during Hurricane Katrina with litigation pending on the SSMC regarding a dry dock that ended up in the canal. Preceding the storm the US Coast Guard advised dock managers how to secure vessels, however the vessels that became dislodged from their moorings did so hours before the eye of the storm passed closest to New Orleans. The situation in the Industrial Canal indicates the vulnerability, particularly of empty vessels, to becoming dislodged and hazardous, even under tropical storm wind conditions.

ING 4247
During Hurricane Katrina, an empty barge, the ING 4727, evidently not secured adequately for hurricane conditions, found its way into the Industrial Canal (also known as the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal) where it went through (or caused -- see below) a breach into the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood. Many other vessels in southeast Louisiana broke their moorings during the storm, however large craft like the barge are notable dangers because winds and currents moved the barges into and destroying valued objects. Such craft once loosened can hit other vessels dislodging the from the moorings. In addition, the vessels may strike levees or retaining walls protecting levees resulting in increase risk of failure.

Coast Guard Protocols
Tropical Storm Fay (2008) was the first tropical storm to threaten SE Louisiana during the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. During storm preparation the US Coast Guard reportedly instructed dock/wharf owners, including SSMC, on how to secure vessels. One of the recommendations was to double up the mooring lines. Another recommendation was to anchor close to the vessels. Also recommended as an alternative was sinking the forward sections of ships inorder to pin them to bottom of the canal under there moorings. The ships could then be refloated afterwards by pumping the the forward bilges.

Southern Scrap Metal Corporation
Less than three weeks prior to Gustav, SSMC took delivery of two vessels. One vessel is a tanker, the American Explorer, and the other is a break-bulk freighter Courier bought in July of 2008 from the U.S. Maritime Administration's ghost fleet in Beaumont, Texas. A third ship, the Hunley was acquired in January of 2007. All three of these ships, would be involved in situations in the canal. Less than a week prior the incident, Southern Scrap was subject of a Federal Court finding that US Army Corps of Engineers could sue them for the case model incident of the drydock which had sunk during Katrina. Though that vessel wasn't worth its weight in scrap, Army and FEMA contracted a competitor for over $8 million dollars to recover it and now are able to sue for the value and damages. Further litigation on loosed ship damage may follow.

Situations in the Industrial Canal
During the night of August 31, 2008 or early morning of September 1, 2008, as a weak category-3 hurricane Gustav approached the coast of Louisiana, at least two clusters of ships were dislodged from their moorings and broke free at SSMC on New Orleans' Industrial Canal. More than of 60 vessels were released into the canals during Gustav the largest however were released into the Industrial Canal and were property of SSMC. It is likely damage from other freed vessels will be investigated in the follow-up to Gustav.



L & N railroad bridge (Almonaster Avenue Bridge)
The Courier was shown in video coverage to be one of three vessel grounded on an embankment approaching the L & N railroad bridge near the I-10 'high' bridge. An employee of Entergy told a US engineer that the Courier was setting atop of a high-pressure natural gas pipeline. Damage to the pipeline that serves a sizable fraction of the US, could have resulted in a sudden rise in energy prices. On September 3, 2008, Joel Dupree of Southern Scrap Metal Corp. claimed the Courier has been removed from its position in front of the Almonaster Avenue Bridge and remoored at the scrap metal yard. The two other barges pinned close to the railroad bridge were to be later removed.

In addition to the grounding on the bridges embankment, a controversy developed over whether the retractable bridge, which is seldomly used since Katrina, should be left in the closed position, since flooding could damage the ability to open or close the bridge to allow emergency traffic to move through. It was realized too late in Gustav that the bridge was left down, since the controls were already flooded by the storm surge.



Florida Avenue Bridge
The Florida Avenue Bridge is an elevated bridge capable of allowing traffic as high as 150 feet to pass under a 300 ft wide opening. The American Explorer was shown in video coverage to be one of two tethered military vessels (the other Hunley) that ran into the Florida Avenue Bridge. After hitting the bridge the ships then ran into two concrete pile-barriers that protect pump station #19 that serves the 9th ward of New Orleans. A US Coast Guard tug eventually pinned the ships into position so that they would not move. The status of the two ships (floatability) is unknown. Two vessels are reported sunk by Dupre of Southern Scrap September 1 and are likely the American Explorer and an unidentified smaller vessel tethered to it. With regard to the Florida Avenue Bridge situation, Mayor Nagin said:

"Surprise is a mild way to put it. I am absolutely incensed about that. It wasn’t just barges. There were two 400-feet Navy ships that were scheduled to be scrapped in the doggone Canal. They were floating around up until 9 o’clock last night. They finally secured them. We must get the Coast Guard and the levee board and everybody to clear those canals when a storm is threatening us."

Wall damage
News reports after the storm show barges loosed in the canal that struck and damaged concrete retaining walls. There are concerns that if loose barges strike retaining walls and cause a breach, that that resulting flooding could critically erode levees.

Locked flood gates and closed bridges
The situations in the Industrial Canal indicated a situational need for active tug boats during storms to pin dangerous objects and keep them from striking and damaging critical facilities. The closure of gates and bridges prior to, during and after the storm created another situation. These closures may have prevented large vessels to escape to safe waters. In addition bridges that are damaged by the storm may not be retracted, preventing tugs from removing grounded vessels before waters retract, permanently grounding them.