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Report - Situation

VESSEL SITUATION- .  SPILLER CONTRACTOR SLOWLY WORKING TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CONNECTIONS
BETWEBETWEEN THE TANKER ALVENUS AND A LIGHTERING BARGE TO OFFLOAD THE VESSEL. ALL OTHER
TANKS APPEAR TO BE INTACT ACCORDING TO SALVORS. NO LIGHTERING HAS OCCURRED YET.  THE
SALVAGE PLAN CALLS FOR OF&LOADING AND BALLASTING SIMUTANEOUSLY TO MAINTAIN STABILITY
(BETWEEN THE ALMOST SEVERED FORWARD SECTION AND THE REST OF THE VESSEL). FOLLOWING
LIGHTERING, THE VESSEL WILL BE MOVED TO LAKE CHARLES. . SLICK LOCATION AND SHORELINE
IMPACT AREAS- .  SLICK EXTENDED ALMOST 85 MILES FROM SHIP IN WESTWARD DIRECTION.  THIS
SLICK WAS VERY BROKEN, WIDELY SCATTERED WITH A NUMBER OF AREAS OF LIGHT SHEEN.
FURTHERMORE, THERE WERE SEVERAL FINGERS OF OIL THAT WERE DIRECTED TOWARD SHORE. OIL BEGAN
IMAPCTING NEAR HIGH ISLAND TO CRYSTAL BEACH.  IT IS PROJECTED TO CONTINUE IMPACTING IN
THAT AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT. . TRAJECTORY FORECAST- .  OIL IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THROUGH
THROUGH THE NIGHT AND TOMORROW ALONG THE BEACH FROM SABINE RIVER TO JUST EAST OF SAN LUIS
PASS WITH THE AREAS OF HEAVIEST IMPACT BETWEEN HIGH ISLAND; 5 MILES  ON EITHER SIDE OF
CRYSTAL BEACH; AND 5 MILES EITHER SIDE OF JAMAICA BEACH. THERE IS A POSSIBITY THAT SOME
OIL WILL ENTER GALVESTON BAY ON THE FLOOD TIDE. . PROTECTION STRATEGIES- .  NOAA/OAD
WORKED WITH THE STATE AND THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO DEVELOP PROTECTION STATEGIES
FOR SABINE PASS, GALVESTON BAY AND THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA, AND SAN LUIS PASS.  PROTECTION
PRIORITIES ON 8.3.84 ARE ROLLOVER PASS, GALVESTON BAY ENTRANCE AND THE WASHOVERS ON THE
BOLIVAR PENINSULA.  SABINE PASS IS LESS OF A PRIORITY  BECAUSE THE BULK OF THE HEAVY OIL
SLILCK HAS MOVED WEST OF THAT AREA.  PRIORITY PROTECTION AREAS FOR 8.4.84 ARE THE SAN LUIS
PASS, AND ANY OTHER AREAS IDENTIFIED IN THE TRAJECTORY FORECASTS OF EARLY MORNING 8.4.84.
. NOAA ACTIVITES- . 1.  WEATHER MR. JIM BELVILE FROM THE NWS OFFICE IN SLIDELL, LA ARRIVED
ON SCENE TO PROVIDE WEATHER SUPPORT.  SEVERAL TYPES OF ASSISTANCE WILL BE PROVIDED. A.
TRAJECTORY SUPPORT MARINE FORECASST AT 0600, 1200, AND 2200; WIND READINGS (HOURLY) FROM
BUOYS 42011 AND 42008 EVERY 6 HRS.; WIND DIRECTION AND CURRENT READINGS FROM OFFSHORE RIGS
3X'S DAILY; AND SEABREEZE PHENOM- ENA. B.  ON SCENE OPERATIONS (PRIMARILY SALVAGE, ALSO
ONSHORE CLEANUP) GULF AREA FORECASTS; AVIATION PLUS MARINE SEVERE WATCH FOR VESSELS. C.
WRITTEN WEATHER REPORTS TO THE CG 3X'S DAILY AT 0800, 1130 AND 1600. D.  NOAA RADIO
WEATHER REPORTS 3X'S DAILY AT 0800, 1200 AND 1800. . 2.  THE STATE HAS INVITED NOAA/SSC TO
PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS AMONG STATE AGENCIES AND UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS TO ADDRESS THE
ISSUE OF DAMAGE ASSESS- MENT.  THE STATE IS CONCERNED THAT THEY NEED TO BE PROPERLY
PREPARED TO DEFINE THE TYPE AND SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS OIL
SPILL.  . 3.  SAMPLES OF THE TWO TYPES OF CRUDE WERE REQUESTED FROM THE SHIPPER/ OWNER. .
4. NOAA/OAD PARICIPATED IN A 1600 PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE MSO AND A 1800 MEETING WITH THE
CG, STATE AGENCIES, AND OWNERS.  THE SSC MET WITH THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS. . 5.  NMFS HAS
SET UP A TURTLE CLEANUP STATION NEAR GALVESTON, AND HAS BE- GUN A 3 DAY CRUISE TO MONITOR
AT SEA THE (POTENTIAL) EFFECT ON SHRIMP. MR. JIM PAYNE OF SAI ACCOMPANIED THE CRUISE TO
FIELD VERIFY THE OIL WEATHERING MODEL HE HASS BEEN DEVELOPING UNDER CONTRACT TO NOAA. . 5.
SHRIMP TRAWLING HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN THE AREAS OF THE OIL SLICK. THERE IS CONCERN THAT
CATCHES MAY BE CONTAMINATED.  PORPOISE HAVE BEEN SIGHTED IN THEAREAS ADJACENT TO THE SLICK
. NOAA PLANS - . NOAA PLANS - . 1.  PREPARE TRAJECTORY ZOOM ON SAN LUIS PASS AND GALVESTON
BAY AND IDENTIFY IMPACTS AREAS SOUTH OF SAN LUISPASS, IN ADDITION TO ROUTINE SPILL
TRACKING. . 2.  THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS SIGHTINGS OF SHRIMP TRAWLING IN AND NEAR SLICK.
WILL CONTACT SEA GRANT ADVISORY AGENTS TO DETERMINE IF OILED SHRIMP ARE IN CATCHES.  MAY
CONTACT NOAA/RRT TO DISCUSS NEED FOR SHRIMP CATCH MONITORING PLAN.  ALSO, PORPOISE HAVE
BEEN SIGHTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SLICK. . 3.  WILL REQUEST FROM OWNER/SPILLER THAT NOAA
WEATHER RADIO (TONE ACTIVATEDT BE INSTALLED ON TANKER ALVENUS TO FACILITATE IMMEDIATE
NOTIFICATION OF IM- PENDING SEVERE MARINE WEATHER (SO LIGHTERING OPS CAN BE SECURED PRIOR
TO ARRIVAL OF HIGH WINDS/SEAST. . 4  RPI (E. GUNALACH) TO ACCOMPANY SPILLER/OWNER'S REP
AND CONTRACTOR TO IMPACTEED SHORELINE AREAS ON 8.4.84 TO ASSIST IN IMPLEMENTATION OF
PROTECTION STRATEGIES. . NOAA PERSONNEL ON SCENE - . BOB PAVIA SSC ANN HAYWARD ROONEY ASSC
JERRY GALT TRAJECTORY DEBBIE PAYTON TRAJECTORY ERICH GUNDLACH RESOURCES AT RISK, SHORELINE
PROT. STRATEGIES JIM BELVILE NWS . UPDATE 0600 8.4.84 . NWS REPORTS THAT WINDS UP TO 60
KNOTS ARE IN VICINITY OF VESSEL. . END MSG. NOAA DAILY REPORT FOR ACTIVITIES ON 8.3.84 .
VESSEL  SITUATION - .  SPILLER/CONTRACTOR IS SLOWLY WORKING TO AMKE THE APPROPRIATE
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE TANKER ALVENUS AND A LIGHTERING BARGE TO OFFLOAD THE CARGO  IN THE
OTHER TANKS. NO LIGHTERINGHAS OCCURRED YET.  THE SALVAGE PLAN CALLS FOR OFFLOADING AND
BALLASTING SIMULTANEOUSLY TO MAINTAIN STABILITY BETWEEN THE NEARLY SEVERED FORWARRD AND
AFT SECTIONS OF THE SHIP.  THE VESSEL WILL THEN BE MOVED TO LAKE CHARLES. . SLICK LOCATION
- . AND IS IN PATCHES AND AREAS OF SHEEN. . AREAS OF SHORELINE IMPACT - .   OIL IS
EXPECTED TO IMPACT THROUGH THE NIGHT AND TOMORROW ALONG THE BEACH FROM SABINE RIVER TO
JUST EAST OF SAN LUIS PASS WITH THE HEAVIEST AREAS OF  IMPACT BETWEEN HIGH ISLAND, 5 MILES
ON EITHER SIDEOF CRYSTAL BEACH, AND 5 MILES ON EITHER SIDE OF JAMAICA BEACH. . TRAJECTORY
FORECAST - .  SHORELINE IMPACTS WILL CONTINUE BETWEEN ROLLOVER PASS AND NORTH JETTY BY THE
ENTRANCEOF GALVESTON BAY.  THEREIS A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THE OIL WILL ENTER GALVESTON
BAY ON A FLOOD TIDE.  HEAVIEST AREAS OF IMPACT ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE WESTEND OF GALVESTON.
. PROTECTION STRATEGIES - .  NOAA/OAD WORKEED WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND STATE
AGENCIES TO DEVELOP PROTECTION STRATEGIES FOR SABINE PASS, GALVESTON BAY ENTRANCE AND
BOLIVAR PENINSULA, AND SAN LUIS PASS.  PRIORITY PROTECTION AREAS ON 8.3.84 ARE ROLLOVER
PASS, GALVESTON BAY ENTRANCE, AND WASHOVERS ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA.  SABINE PASS ISLESS
OF A PRIORITY BECAUSE THE BULK OF THE HEAVY OIL HAS ALREADY MOVEDWEST OF THAT AREA.
PRIORITY PROTECTION AREAS FOR 8.4.84 ARE THE SAN LUIS PASS AND AREAS TO THE WEST
IDENTIFIED IN THE BY THE TRAJECTORY IN THE MORNING OF 8.4.84  AS OF THE EARLY AFTERNOON OF
8.3.84 NO PROTECTION MEASURES WERE IN PLACE; HOWEVER,  THE SPILLER SAID BOOMS WOULD BE IN
PLACE IN ROLLOVER PASS, NEAR THE GALVESTON BAY ENTRANCE AND SABINE PASS BY 1900 ON 8.3.84.