History Detail
Incident Name: F/V Eijyu Maru

Subject: Report - Final

Incident Date: 12/1/1991

Incident Location: Ngarapalas Island, Kayangel Islands Group, Republic of Palau

Author: Sharon K. Christopherson

Latitude: 08Ý02' N

Longitude: 134Ý42' E

USCG District: 14

Product: oil

Type: 2

Volume: 119

Source:non-tank vessel

RAR: sand and gravel (coral rubble) beach, submerged aquatic vegetation, sea grass beds, coral reefs, dugong, sea birds, shorebirds, nesting beaches, reef fish, sea turtles, salt water crocodile, subsistence gathering

Dispersants: N

Bioremediation: N

In-Situ Burning: N

Special Interest Topic(s): logistical problems, in-situ burning, interaction with native groups, salvage difficulties, effects to human health and safety, potential impacts from introduced species (rats)

Shoreline Type(s) Impacted: none observed

Summary: On December 1, 1991, the 65-foot fishing vessel Eijyu Maru No. 1 ran aground on a reef, 100 to 200 yards off Ngarapalas Island, the southeast end of the Kayangel Islands Group in the Republic of Palau. The vessel was carrying 5,000 gallons of diesel, 165 gallons of lubrication oil, and 25 tons of fish. The Eijyu Maru was said to be lying on her port side on the reef with three quarters of her hull submerged and waves breaking over her. A six-foot hole was reported in the engine room hull and diesel sheen was observed in the water around the vessel. On-scene weather was 20-knot winds and six- to eight-foot seas.

Behavior: A total of 650 gallons of diesel were removed from the Eijyu Maru and an estimated 4,500 gallons of diesel were released into the water. The diesel released into the water was naturally dispersed by the strong wind and high surf present throughout the salvage operations.

Countermeasures/Mitigation: On December 4, the Government of Palau determined that the Japanese owner was unable to remove the fuel on board the vessel and officially requested U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) assistance. USCG personnel from the Marine Safety Office (MSO) in Guam arrived on scene December 5 to survey the damage and arrange for the transportation of salvage equipment to Palau. Communications between Guam and Palau were very difficult because of limited telephone lines into Palau. The Pacific Strike Team with additional equipment, including INMARSAT communication equipment, were deployed to the scene on December 8 to assist MSO Guam personnel. Between December 5 and December 12 a number of different salvage plans were considered and discarded because of rough surf conditions on scene, instability of the vessel, and lack of salvage equipment in Palau. On December 12, the USCG identified a 200-foot landing craft, the M/V Dragon I, to off load the fuel from the Eijyu Maru. On December 14, the landing craft successfully transferred the remaining 650 gallons of diesel from the Eijyu Maru, but then ran aground while maneuvering near the disabled vessel and was unable to work free. In addition to the 650 gallons removed from the Eijyu Maru, the Dragon I had 15,000 gallons of diesel on board. A Salvage Master representing the landing craft owner arrived in Palau on December 17, surveyed the Dragon I, and found no hull damage. A salvage tug was dispatched from Japan and the Dragon I was successfully refloated and towed to Koror on December 29 with no pollution. No oil remains on the Eijyu Maru and the vessel remains wrecked on the reef.

Other Special Interest(s): As is often the case when dealing with spills in the South Pacific, the logistical problems associated with the remote location and stranding of a vessel in a high-energy surf zone significantly increased the duration and expense of this response. No response equipment was staged in the Republic of Palau. All equipment and personnel had to come from Guam, Hawaii, California, and Japan. Ngarapalas Island is located 50 miles north of Koror, can be reached only by boat, and is uninhabited. There is a small native village on a nearby island. The remoteness of the area resulted in time delays in assessing the situation, transporting equipment, and carrying out the response. The remote location and lack of support facilities also limited access on scene. Video tapes taken by personnel on scene were provided to assist key resource agency personnel make recommendations on proposed response operations and assess the potential threat to the environment. The six- to eight-foot surf breaking over the vessel made it impossible to get anything but the smallest equipment out to the Eijyu Maru, and raised concern for the safety of response personnel trying to work on her. Several different response plans were proposed, only to be discarded because of logistical problems or safety issues. It took more than a week to locate a suitable craft to serve as a platform for lightering the Eijyu Maru, only to have the landing craft go aground and pose an even greater pollution threat to the environment. During the salvage, the 25 tons of rotting fish in the Eijyu Maru's holds raised two more concerns. First, could the methane given off by the rotting fish pose an explosion hazard to responders? Discussions with responders on scene indicated that this was unlikely due to adequate ventilation supplied by the numerous holes in the ship's hull. Second, what were the possible human or environmental effects of the rotting fish cargo? The Centers for Disease Control recommended that the natives be warned against eating any of the fish. Bacterial activity in the decomposing fish should be rapidly diluted by surrounding water and should pose no additional threat to the environment. The responders were also warned that the fish cargo could draw sharks into the area. Another concern raised by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service was whether rats swimming ashore from the grounded vessel could threaten birds nesting on Ngarapalas Island. No rats were observed during the salvage operations.

NOAA Activities: NOAA was notified of the incident on December 6, 1991, by MSO Guam. The NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) provided oil spill trajectories for instantaneous releases of 5,000 gallons and 15,000 gallons of diesel, resources at risk information, and toxicity of diesel. The SSC coordinated input from Federal resource agencies on a number of environmental issues, including identification of federally listed endangered and threatened species at risk in the area, the potential for impact on resident birds by human salvage activity, and the potential threat of rats on the Eijyu Maru reaching the shore and impacting bird nesting. The SSC helped develop a consensus recommendation on several response plans being considered including the deliberate controlled discharge of the Eijyu Maru's cargo into the water or transferring the cargo to 55-gallon drums for transport and burning on Ngarapalas Island. The SSC also coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to procure information on human health threats from the rotting fish cargo on board the Eijyu Maru.