Oil absorbent mat pads encompass the fishing vessel Bill Ketner in San Pedro, California October 25, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)
SAN PEDRO, Calif. – On Friday the Coast Guard completed cleanup efforts after the 70-foot fishing vessel Bill Ketner partially sank at the pier in San Pedro last Monday.
At approximately 7 p.m. on October 24, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach Incident Management Division received notification that the Fishing Vessel Bill Ketner had partially sunk at the pier with a max capacity of 2,500 gallons of diesel onboard. Capt. Ryan Manning, the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, approved the opening of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and the contracting of an oil spill response organization. The organization was contracted to raise the vessel, remove the fuel still onboard, and clean up the discharge in the water. Working alongside Los Angeles Port Police (LAPP) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), Coast Guard Pollution Responders oversaw the successful clean-up operation.
The vessel was lifted and stabilized using eight flotation air bags. Once the vessel was raised to the surface of the water, the hull was patched and fuel removed, LAPP took possession of the vessel for further disposition.
“Our main priority of containing the pollution was met thanks to the cooperation and coordination with our Port Partners,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class David Britt, a Coast Guard Marine Science Technician and member of the Incident Management Division. “The Coast Guard and our partners are committed to the protection of our sensitive Southern California ecosystem.”
Clean-up efforts concluded on Friday and totaled four days.
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