Staff photos/Andy Brostrom Above: The Canadian Coast Guard crew monitors the progress of the MI-30 skimmer as it cleans up a mock oil spill in the Grand Portage bay on September 16. Upper Right: Mark James, Canadian emergency response specialist, operated the vessel towing the 1,000-foot oil recovery boom. Right: The MI-30 skimmer is designed to recover 30 tons of oil per hour under perfect conditions. However, due to varying water conditions and other factors, it actually averages about six tons per hour.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15-16, members of the US and Canadian Coast Guard, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Cook County Sheriff ’s Response Unit responded to an emergency in Grand Portage Bay. Fortunately, the oil spill that raised the concern was an interagency drill, practice for a real event.
During the exercise, an approximately 1,000-foot boom was floated behind the Canadian Coast Guard emergency vessel to catch the oil. A specially designed piece of equipment, an MI-30 skimmer, looking like something from outer space, hovered over the water, simulating oil recovery.
Mark James, emergency response specialist based in Prescott, Ontario, said the MI-30 is designed to recover 30 tons of oil per hour under perfect conditions. However, he indicated that the MI-30 actually averages six tons of oil per hour due to on-thewater conditions, operator abilities and unforeseen circumstances.
The hub of the Strategic Area Response (SAR) system for oil spills or other hazardous responses is Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. There are eight trailers containing 20,000 feet of boom and numerous skimmers and retention equipment awaiting deployment in an emergency. There are 17 SAR offices located around the Great Lakes. Each has 1,000 feet of boom.
Part of the reason for this exercise was to test the ability to bring all of the equipment back and forth over the border. Participants were happy to report that there were no problems crossing the international border.
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