UXO found near vessel; port closed

Divers have found what appears to be unexploded ordnance behind and next to the grounded Paul Russ, according to a statement released by the U.S. Coast Guard last night.

“All response operations in the vicinity of the vessel have been suspended until the U.S Navy Explosives Ordnance Division can safely remove the items,” said the Coast Guard statement.

The commercial vessel Paul Russ is shown stranded on the Saipan Lagoon after running aground on the coral reef. The navigational channel is the to the left of the vessel and is pronounced by the water that is a darker shade of blue. (HELICOPTER SEA COMBAT SQUADRON 25)

The U.S. Coast Guard emphasized the ongoing 24-hour 500-yard safety zone that has been established in the area. The zone prevents any vessels from entering or departing the port of Saipan, as on-shore operations continue toward salvage and response plans.

According to the Coast Guard, there are 400,000 gallons of fuel oil estimated to remain aboard the grounded vessel.

“Nobody goes in,” said Martin K. Seman, CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management special assistant in an interview yesterday afternoon. “Now that we know what’s there, until we know that it’s rendered safe by the experts then we can say it’s OK.”

Seman said the matter was serious, noting the large amount of goods grounded with the vessel and the impact on vessels coming in and out.

As for what caused the grounding, Seman said that error, as a factor, has not been determined yet.

“We are looking at every possible angle,” he added.

He noted they are not ruling out weather, adding that the vessel’s agent and representative as well as the Coast Guard are doing everything possible to assess the situation.

An underwater survey was also done yesterday to assess the grounding’s environmental impact as well as the state of the vessel’s hull, according to Seman.

“In terms of the vessel itself, the assessment has been done by the vessel representative,” he said, noting that the survey on the possible impact on marine and aquatic life was done by the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Some of the environmental survey team was spotted around 3pm yesterday, with some still in dive suits, after landing at Smiling Cove near the Department of Public Safety’s Boating Safety Unit.

They could not comment on their work as per policy.

Seman said better conditions yesterday enabled a better assessment, as underwater visibility was poor on Tuesday.

“We want to make sure we have a dive safety plan [and] a salvage plan, and that everything is in order in the event that things don’t go the way they go. We can’t just rush this and not prepare for other things that might happen,” he said, when asked if there is a timeline.

The Paul Russ ran aground early Tuesday morning in the vicinity of buoy number 3 along the navigation channel entering the port of Saipan. There was no report of injuries to its 17 crew or any oil spill incident.

A Unified Command Center has been established at the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s Seaport Office, with a command post for operations established at the DPS Boating Safety Unit in Smiling Cove.