Coast Guard removes 1,000 gallons of residual fuel from barge that ran aground off El Morro

According to authorities, some 1,000 gallons of residual fuel and oily water were removed from the barge Defiant, which ran aground on Feb. 9 off the entrance to the Port of San Juan.

By THE STAR STAFF

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Tuesday that the removal of residual fuel from the barge grounded off the entrance to San Juan Bay has been completed, while preparations continue to remove it from the rocks near Castillo San Felipe del Morro.

“With the removal of the residual fuel, we have substantially reduced the immediate threat to the marine environment,” said Ray López, Coast Guard Sector San Juan incident commander, in a written statement.

“We will continue to closely monitor the area as salvage and response teams work diligently to prepare and condition the barge for removal,” he added. “The removal will take as long as necessary to ensure the safety of response personnel, minimize impacts on the marine environment, and protect the integrity of the Port of San Juan’s shipping system.”

According to authorities, some 1,000 gallons of residual fuel and oily water were removed from the vessel. Over the weekend, salvage teams moved additional equipment to assess the extent of structural damage and conduct pressure tests on the tanks and compartments.

The proposed plan to remove the barge remains under review and is pending updates from the salvagers and final approval from the Captain of the Port.

The barge Defiant ran aground around noon on Feb. 9 off the entrance to the Port of San Juan. No injuries were reported. The Coast Guard established a 200-yard safety zone around the vessel until further notice.