Posted on: Tuesday, July 5, 2005

Pollution experts heading to reserve

By Audrey McAvoy
Associated Press

The U.S. Coast Guard said yesterday it was sending pollution response experts to cope with any environmental damage to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands marine reserve after a ship ran aground on an atoll there over the weekend.

A Coast Guard C-130 plane hovering above the Casitas ship spotted a light sheen extending about a half-mile from the vessel, but authorities haven't been able to determine if it was an oil spill. The vessel has an estimated 30,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 3,000 gallons of gasoline and 200 gallons of lubricating oil.

The ship ran aground Saturday at Pearl and Hermes Atoll near the western end of a coral reef reserve stretching 1,200 nautical miles from the main Hawaiian Islands to Midway. The reserve is home to endangered monk seals and sea turtles.

The ship carried a crew of seven and 16 researchers, including scientists from the University of Hawai'i and divers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They were on a mission to remove fishing nets and other debris. There were no injuries.

All 23 people were evacuated to Midway Island and were to fly back to O'ahu via a C-130 today, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson.

Johnson said National Strike Force experts scheduled to leave O'ahu this morning will assess the accident when they reach the scene.

A Coast Guard plane on Sunday first sighted the sheen and a containment boom the Casitas had released. The sheen spread outside the boom but did not appeared to have gotten larger yesterday, Johnson said.