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Forensic operations technicians from various state and federal agencies assisted in analyzing data acquired from the US Army Corps of Engineers survey Boat the Catlett in the Baltimore Harbor on March 27, 2024. Photo by David Adams/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District

Forensic operations technicians from various state and federal agencies assisted in analyzing data acquired from the US Army Corps of Engineers survey Boat the Catlett in the Baltimore Harbor on March 27, 2024. Photo by David Adams/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District

Baltimore Key Bridge Dive Operations Suspended Due to Safety Concerns

Mike Schuler
Total Views: 4467
March 28, 2024

The Unified Command continues to oversee the response operations following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

Dive operations and vehicle recovery have currently been put on hold due to hazardous conditions from the submerged wreckage and debris.

A 2000-yard Safety Zone has been established around the M/V Dali for the ongoing recovery efforts to ensure the protection of personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards linked to the salvage work.

The Unified Command has reported 56 total containers loaded hazardous materials, of which 14 were impacted. Those 14 have been assessed by an industrial hygienist to include chemical components including soap products, perfume products, or unspecified resin.

On-site crews remain actively assessing and monitoring potential oil spills and hazardous substances to prevent further discharge into the environment.

Approximately 2,400 feet of sorbent boom has been deployed at the incident site, with a similar length of hard containment boom and anchoring systems around the vessel. Another 1,000 feet of boom is ready for deployment if needed. Teams are conducting visual inspections of water quality and collecting samples for testing.

Air monitoring is being conducted on and around the Dali, with no volatile organic compounds or flammable vapors detected so far. Pollution and debris removal operations are ongoing, with no atmospheric hazards detected at this point.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the largest crane barge on the East Coast was en route and expected to arrive Thursday night. “Our economy depends on the Port of Baltimore and the Port of Baltimore depends on this channel. The largest crane on the East Coast will arrive tonight and help clear the debris,” he said. The crane barge is Donjon Marine’s Chesapeake 1000 with a lifting capacity of 1,000 tons.

The Unified Command is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, Witt O’Brien’s, and Maryland State Police.

“The Unified Command’s operational priorities are ensuring the safety of the public and first responders, accountability of missing persons, safely restoring transportation infrastructure and commerce, protecting the environment, and supporting the investigation,” it said.

USNI News reported that the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command’s supervisor of salvage and diving is supporting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Unified Command, led by the Coast Guard, according to a statement. Another 400-ton revolving crane barge and a 160-ton revolving crane are expected join the effort.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the immediate availability of $60 million in emergency funds to the Maryland Department of Transportation to cover initial costs associated with “debris removal, demolition, detours, emergency repairs, and design and reconstruction on I-695 and the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

The Singapore-flagged Dali, measuring 300 meters in length, was carrying 4,679 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs) when it struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge about 50 minutes after its departure from the Seagirt Marine Terminal with two pilots on board early in the morning on March 26. All 21 crew members remain on board the vessel. Six workers who were on the bridge at the time are presumed dead.

Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd both of Singapore.

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