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M/T Julie N

SSC Evening Report - Sunday, 20 OCT 1996 -  - Operations Status - Shoreline cleanup
continues.-  - A classic New England "Nor'Easter" is in progress in the southern Maine
area.  Winds in excess of 40 knots and heavy rains will continue through Monday night.
Local flooding and wind damage is common. -  - Vessel - The M/V JULIE N was released
Saturday to the anchorage.  She will remain there until the local severe weather  allows
safe passage. -  - Fisheries - On Friday the lobster fishery in the upper Fore River was
re-closed after a couple of lobsters were reported to have a slight odor of oil.  There
was concern expressed that the cause might be the washing operations forcing sediment
entrained oil into the water column or onto the river floor.  There is not direct evidence
of this and it is somewhat counter-intuitive given the product and the condition on the
lobsters found (presumably heavy oil at the bottom would appear in the gills or on the
mouth of lobsters found to be oiled.  This is not the case). -  - Clean-Up - Cleanup
remains active in several areas in the Fore River.  Riprap, piers and seawalls are being
hot water washed and flushed.  An attempt to deluge flush areas of the high marsh at
Thompson Point (a very heavily impacted area) was not as successful as first hoped.  A
small area of payton grasses was found to have pooled oil.  An ambient temperature flood
was engaged on Thursday from mid-tide through high tide to mid-tide.  The oil was not
mobilized as readily as expected so the operation was halted. -  - The FOSC and SOSC
conducted a partial site walk Saturday and discussed continued cleanup operations.  In
general, they were well pleased with progress of the cleanup and have begun discussions on
the reduction of forces in many areas and the development of a maintenance program.  The
SSC was asked to returned to Portland earlier than expected (Sunday morning) to help
reassess the cleanup and develop a maintenance recommendations. -  - The RP Science Rep.,
Ops Rep., Maine DEP Commissioner and the SSC visited several sites Sunday to discuss
amount of oil remaining on the shore.  The riprap in several of the high impact areas
continues to have  oil cover and in some areas pooled on the sides of the rocks.  It is
unclear how effective the hotsy operations can be in removing this oil.  Where the oil was
heavy in the pebble areas, a lens remains at 3 inches.  This is a highly industrialized
area with discarded asphalt and concrete.  A warm water low pressure deluge is proposed
during the period the connected flats are submerged.  This area will be flagged so that
the workers will have visual cues as to when to stop the operation.  The pebbles will be
agitated by rake to try to remove the remaining oil. -  - SSC Overflight  - No SSC
overflight today. -  - Marine Mammals - A third seal was found dead at the cruise liner
pier on Thursday.  Indications are that the seal died from something other than oil.  NMFS
and the New England Aquarium Strand Network have taken control of the issue. -  - Plans
for Tomorrow (Monday) - • Unified Command meeting (0900) - The following is weather
permitting: - • Warm water deluge of pebble shore/flagging - • Site walk with FOSC & SOSC
to discuss future operations - • Evaluate the effectiveness of the hotsy operations and
discuss their future applications. -  -  - NOAA Personnel On-scene: - Steve Lehmann (SSC)
-  - Contact Information - Command Post - 400 Commercial St., Portland, ME - (207)
774-4387 (Science Support), 774-4075 (Planning), 774-6137 fax