The U.S. Navy (USN) Office of the Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SupSalv) maintains a capability to respond to maritime accidents and provide ship salvage services in emergencies. Although the office was established primarily to meet military needs for search and salvage, it also provides services to meet certain commercial emergency salvage needs. The Navy has overall responsibility for ensuring that the nation has salvage capabilities on all coasts to respond to disasters and to protect the public interest. Within this context, SupSalv is responsible for emergency marine salvage preparedness in the event of a terrorist incident in U.S. ports and waterways, and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has a broad responsibility for homeland security, including the nation’s seaports. The United States is a world trade leader with an economy increasingly dependent on ocean transportation and the vitality of ports and waterways. If a terrorist-related or other incident results in the blockage of a harbour or waterway, emergency towing vessels, salvage vessels, experienced divers, and other professionals must be available to respond. In recognition of this need, it was decided to evaluate the status of U.S. marine salvage response capabilities, particularly with respect to potential terrorist-related incidents that could affect commercial and military operations in U.S. harbours and waterways. The National Academies’ Marine Board within the Transportation Research Board was asked by SupSalv to assist in the evaluation by conducting a workshop involving salvage experts in both industry and government to consider the status of preparedness and suggest steps for improvement if needed. An ad hoc committee was appointed to plan and conduct the workshop addressing national salvage response capabilities, with particular attention to the consequences of potential terrorist incidents affecting operations in U.S. ports and waterways. Issues that were considered include organizational and interagency coordination as well as response capabilities. The workshop addressed economic, legal, forensic, environmental, and human casualty issues related to salvage. The principal goals of the workshop were (a) to share information among relevant agencies, organizations, and other interested parties concerning current salvage response capabilities and (b) to determine if there are any major gaps or concerns with respect to current capabilities and agency roles. The committee membership included experts in marine salvage, port and waterways management, port and harbour safety, ship operations and management, marine and transportation engineering systems, risk assessment and management, and environmental issues. Members had backgrounds in marine salvage response and capability as well as in legal, economic, and environmental issues; and they understood agency missions and interagency coordination and communications efforts required for effective, efficient salvage response. The committee met before the workshop to develop the workshop agenda and prepare a list of invitees. In meetings following the workshop, the committee reviewed information presented at the workshop and developed resulting conclusions and recommendations for future action. These proceedings contain a summary of workshop discussions and committee recommendations highlighting important topics and issues that warrant further, more detailed inquiry by the responsible federal agencies. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting