Unified Command representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, State of Hawaii Department of Health, Northwind Inc. (owner of the Casitas), NOAA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversaw the extraction operation. All parties agreed it was important to make every effort to remove the Casitas to prevent further damage to the coral reef ecosystem.

A Coast Guard cutter and C-130 aircraft, three tugboats, two barges, and a berthing vessel were involved in the operation. Neighboring Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge served as an operations base throughout the removal operations. During July, all fuels and oils ? approximately 33,000 gallons ? were removed from the ship. Because of safety concerns, about 15 tons of marine debris and other trash were left on the vessel but stowed in sealed, double-hulled holds. Holes in the hull were patched and the contractor pumped ballast water from the Casitas to refloat the vessel as the tide rose. Pumps were kept operating to keep the Casitas afloat until it reached an approved disposal site approximately 6 nautical miles from the grounding site.

The successful entombment of the Casitas ends this phase of the operation. In the near future, a team of representatives from State of Hawaii, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and responsible party will gather at Pearl and Hermes Atoll to begin assessing injuries to the atoll's natural resources.