The Old New Carissa: A Study in Patience

Abstract

ABSTRACT The events surrounding the stranding of the wood chip carrier M/V New Carissa off Coos Bay, Oregon in February 1999 drew the attention of the world, principally because of the unique methods employed to mitigate the threat of pollution and the dramatic method employed to dispose of her forebody. As a major oil spiller, she is hardly a blip on the screen, but as an attention-getter in the United States and as perhaps presenting the most persistent response problems ever encountered, she was undoubtedly at the top of the charts. As of this writing, 1½ years after her grounding, her stern is still aground off the beach. Despite her relative insignificance as an oil spill incident, New Carissa was signally important in the world of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) compliance matters in two areas. First, the complex nature of the salvage-/wreck-removal operations and the interrelation of those efforts to the conventional Unified Command responsibilities significantly complicated the operation. Secondly, her unusually long life as an ongoing response operation imposed unique pressures on the Unified Command structure. Both factors imposed significant emphasis on the interpretation and implementation of the laws and regulations governing OPA 90 spill responses. In spite of the difficulties, the two most important objectives were achieved: safety of life and protection of the environment. In extremely dangerous operations, there was no serious injury and, at the end of the day, the fragile environment involved suffered little damage. In this paper, the authors look at some of the significant events that generated stresses and strains in relationships following the major activities involved in disposing of the vessel's forebody.