Cleanup efforts are poised to commence for the Tug Mazapeta, a World War II-era military vessel that met its watery grave last year, as authorities gear up to tackle the removal of some 1,600 gallons of petroleum said to be entombed within its sunken hull in the San Joaquin Delta. Contractors, directed by a unified command, are scheduled to start the meticulous process of petroleum extraction on January 12, working to alleviate potential environmental hazards brought forth by the vessel's unfortunate demise, which occurred on September 4.
In the aftermath of the sinking, a containment strategy was promptly put in place, reigning in approximately 593 gallons of diesel and engine oil from the spill area, now contained by booms, including the deployment of special Rubberizer booms, aiming to bolster the recovery task; however, the efforts to date address only a portion of the total environmental threat, the containment measures being merely a temporary bulwark against the risk of wider contamination as confirmed by news shared by the U.S. Coast Guard. The unified command, assembling minds from the U.S. Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, have now seen fit to move onto the next phase of the recovery.
This next stage—as announced by the U.S. Coast Guard—is no small task, wherein crews will endeavor to seal the wreckage, contend with the precarious job of righting the sunken boat, dewater its sodden chambers, and ultimately, banish all remaining petroleum from its confines. These operations, subject to the whims of special equipment availability and benevolent weather, may also unfold beneath the veil of night, timed meticulously with favorable tidal currents to maximize efficacy as part of a strategy devised in close concert with the Coast Guard's Salvage Engineering Response Team and assorted industry virtuosos.
Local access is set to be affected by the cleanup, with the closing off of Empire Tract Road at Eight Mile Road and the establishment of a water safety zone around the operational area to ensconce the efforts, this zone—while aiming to accommodate passage for recreational vessels—the authorities are urging boaters to steer clear, if possible, given the complexities and hazards concomitant with such intricate environmental salvaging efforts. Further, the unified command is not stopping at the mere removal of environmental blight; they've already got their sights trained on future endeavors, laying plans with various local and state entities regarding the potential salvage of the Tug Mazapeta itself, discussions to initiate once the immediate threat of pollution has been thwarted.
