SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Under the leadership of the Unified Command, crews are preparing to return the ONE Henry Hudson vessel to Yusen Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, as the fire on board has been fully contained. This marks a critical step toward the next phase of response operations, where cargo and waste will be offloaded by longshore labor and salvage crews.
Vessel Transit and Offload
On Wednesday, crews assessed the vessel’s stability to prepare for its transit back to port, where its cargo and water accumulated from firefighting efforts will be safely offloaded and removed. Longshore labor crews completed lashing of the ship’s cargo Wednesday afternoon while the ship was at anchorage.
A safety zone will remain in effect as the vessel transits back to port. Firefighting assets will transit alongside the ship and will remain on standby once the vessel arrives at its berth.
“The vessel’s safe transit and return to port is a testament to the continued partnership of this Unified Command and all of the supporting agencies who have been working around the clock since the start of this incident,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Stacey Crecy, the response’s Incident Commander. “Our top priority is continuing to ensure the safety of this operation through its completion.”
Air and Water Quality Monitoring
The Coast Guard and Los Angeles Port Police Hazardous Materials Team are actively monitoring air quality on the vessel to ensure the site is safe for workers onboard and in the surrounding communities. Levels remain below State and Federal action levels. Air quality monitoring efforts will continue until the operation concludes.
No impacts to air quality have been detected outside of the established safety zone. Real-time air quality updates can be found on the Port’s air quality monitoring site.
All hazardous materials have been contained on the vessel, including water used in firefighting efforts. Once the vessel returns to its berth, firefighting water will be removed from the vessel and transported to a facility to be treated.
Salvage and Cargo Removal
The salvage group DONJON-SMIT has been in temporary possession of the vessel and has flown in experts from around the world to execute marine firefighting efforts and prepare the ship for a safe transit into port where additional repairs and offloading of cargo can safely take place.
Vessel stability will continue to be assessed as operations move forward. Once the vessel returns to its berth, salvage and longshore labor crews will work together to remove the affected and unaffected cargo from the ship.
“We are working with the salvage experts, vessel’s crew, local labor and the whole of the unified command to bring this incident to a safe conclusion,” said Los Angeles Port Police Deputy Chief Greg McManus, Incident Commander.
The Unified Command consists of the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Los Angeles Port Police Department, and a representative of the container ship (the vessel’s Qualified Individual). The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has shifted to a supporting role and is standing by to assist as needed.
Links to updates:
Update #1 - Unified Command Response to One Henry Hudson Fire
Update #2 - Unified Command Response to One Henry Hudson Fire
Update #3 Unified Command Response to One Henry Hudon Fire
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