New Bedford MA Mustard Response

1st Civil Support TeamMustard Agent Response

New Bedford MA7 JUN 2010

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Background• The U.S. Coast Guard said the Atlantic City, N.J.-based vessel, the ESS Pursuit, dredged

up ten shells Sunday about 45 miles south of Long Island. The crew threw the items back into the ocean when the man began developing blisters.

• The boat remains isolated off the coast of New Bedford.

• The U.S. military used the ocean as a dumping ground for munitions, including a mustard agent, from after World War II through the 1960s.

• A civil support team from Massachusetts went aboard the fishing vessel yesterday to conduct testing. They boarded again today and identified the presence of blister agents in one area. The Coast Guard is working with the EPA and other federal, state and local agencies to develop a decontamination plan for the vessel.

• Two additional crewmembers were removed last night, one complaining of nose and eye irritation, the other person had no symptoms.

• The 39,000 pounds of clams the ESS Pursuit sold are isolated and under Massachusetts State control at Sea Watch International in New Bedford

Source: FOX 25 News Boston

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

HQ 1st CST

Incident Site

USCG Sector Boston

USCG Sector Southeastern New England Providence

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Incident Command Post

ESSPursuit

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Time Line

7 JUN- Initial indication of response

- Alert Deploy to Staging Area New Bedford

- Link-up with New Bedford Fire Chief Brian Faria- Incident Commander

- Joint CST/ US Navy EOD/ RI HAZMAT initial entry on vessel

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Incident Command IC GOAL:

1. Determine any Public Safety Risk

2. Determine Substance

3. Render safe shell fuse

4. Determine status of crew

Results:

5. Determine presence of Mustard agent

6. Shell fuse rendered safe and removed

7. 2 crew members decon on ship and returned to port

8. Captain and First Mate refused to leave vessel

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Joint Entry Prep

Joint Entry

DAY 2

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Time Line

8 JUN• Tier 3 MA HAZMAT Alarm issued• State Officials arrive • Unified Command established USCG Lead Federal Agency• EPA Joins Unified Command

Objectives:• Determine extent of contamination on vessel• Determine status of clam catch

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Time Line

9 JUN

• USCG Atlantic Strike team Arrives• MA State HAZMAT Teams Reduce presences• Unified Command USCG Lead Federal Agency

Objectives:• Conduct complete survey of vessel• Remove remaining crew members• Determine disposal of clam catch

Medical Reach back

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

UMASS Medical Center

EOD

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

New Bedford MA Mustard Response

Lessons Learned

• Prior operational relationships• Joint Planning Joint Operations • Sustainment Planning• Plan on being the first on site• Reach back: Medical (UMASS), DTRA• Utilization and understanding of IC/Unified Command• Understand the role of the press• Mission creep!!

The First question you are asked at an incident

site should not be:

“Who are you???!!”

But rather:

“How are you?”