HORRY COUNTY, S.C. – Coast Guard Sector Charleston will hold an oil spill response exercise on the Waccamaw River northwest of the Highway 501 overpass Tuesday in preparation for Earth Day.
Coast Guard Station Georgetown, S.C., Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Georgetown, Horry County Fire and Rescue, Horry County Emergency Management Division, Department of Health Environmental Control, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary will all be participating in the exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to practice booming and pollution response mitigation techniques in accordance with the South Carolina Coastal Area Contingency Plan.
It is the Coast Guard’s mission to ensure that waterways are safe and healthy for future generations, but it is the waterway user’s responsibility to ensure the marine environment and its inhabitants do not suffer because of carelessness. Waterway users are asked to report all spills, sheens, and hazardous material releases into our waterways to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
Participating members will also be conducting a clean-up of the 501 boat ramp in conjunction with the exercise.
