SEPTEMER 30, 2016--U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina personnel and members of partner agencies participated in an oil spill response exercise at the Morehead City Convention Center in Morehead City, North Carolina, on September 15.

The exercise focused on a Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threat (RULET) vessel, which could potentially threaten the shores of the Outer Banks and Pamlico Sound if a discharge took place.

The exercise was designed to test the Sector North Carolina's area contingency and geographic response plans involving the W.E. Hutton shipwreck.
The W.E. Hutton, a 453-foot vessel carrying 2.7 million gallons of #2 heating oil, was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942. Due to the nature of the vessel sinking and questionable status of material remaining aboard, this vessel has been classified as posing a potential threat to the coast of North Carolina.
Among the agencies represented were the U.S. Coast Guard's Sector North Carolina and District 5, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, Marine Sanctuary Program and National Weather Service's Newport, North Carolina Office, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, members of Marine Corps Environmental Management from Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point, North Carolina Emergency Management and State On-Scene Coordinator, Carteret County, as well as members from emergency environmental response organizations including HEPACO and SR&R Environmental.

"NOAA played a major support role with involvement from multiple programs, including the Emergency Response Division, National Marine Sanctuaries Program, Marine Debris Program and the National Weather Service, Newport, NC. "NOAA's Emergency Response Division provided trajectory models, a fate and effect model, and resources at risk description. Lisa Symons from the Marine Sanctuary Program via a webinar shared with the exercise players what is known about the history and wreck of the W.E. Hutton and Scott Kennedy from the National Weather Service, Newport, North Carolina, provided weather," according to Frank Csulak, OR&R’s NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for U.S. Coast Guard District 5.

“Coast Guard Sector North Carolina has a vested interest in ensuring we are ready to respond to any threat to our waters, and the best response is a unified effort with our partners,” said Capt. Patricia Hill, Commander, Sector North Carolina and Captain of the Port. “Through joint planning and cooperation, the Coast Guard has worked to develop methods to manage the complications associated with response to an oil spill on the beaches of the Outer Banks. The exercise has better prepared all agencies to respond to and minimize the impact of such an incident.”

For further information, contact Frank.Csulak@noaa.gov.

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