Clearing contaminants that spewed from the USS The Sullivans was the chief order of business on Tuesday, six days after a breach was discovered in the World War II-era warship stationed at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park.
But despite stiff winds and cold temperatures, the status of the vessel hadn't worsened.
With the ship wedged against the pier and touching the bottom of the Buffalo River, the USS The Sullivans was “fairly stable,” said Lexia Littlejohn, commander of the Buffalo sector of the U.S. Coast Guard.
“I don't suspect there will be additional damage to the ship,” she told reporters.
Littlejohn said 4,610 gallons of oily waste — described as a mixture of oil and water, but primarily oil — that had leaked from tanks within the ship was removed from the water, as was 8 cubic yards of debris, both oil and wood. Maneuvering the boom surrounding the listing vessel helped workers control the debris' spread, Littlejohn added.
The contaminants were not a surprise considering the ship's age and history, said Paul J. Marzello Sr., president and CEO of the Naval Park.
“When the Navy transfers a ship to a city or municipality, they're supposed to give it to you without any oil, but as we know back in the '70s, there weren't the environmental concerns or knowledge that we have now,” Marzello said. “To turn the ship over doesn't mean you get in to scrub every last ounce of oil out of the…
