From Desktop to Dive: Assessing the Pollution Potential of SS Fernstream, USNS Mission San Miguel and SS Coast Trader

In 2010, the United States Congress appropriated one million dollars to identify the most ecologically and economically significant potentially polluting wrecks in US waters, a joint initiative between the U.S. Coast Guard and its Regional Response Teams, along with NOAA, through its Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Office of Response and Restoration, and Maritime Heritage Program. Of some 20,000 US wrecks that postdated 1891, when most steam and motor vessels converted from coal to oil, the study focused on: vessels built of iron or steel (wooden wrecks would have deteriorated and already released their oil), cargo vessels over 1000 tons (smaller vessels would have small amounts of fuel), and any tank vessel. This resulted in a group of 600–1000 vessels. Ultimately 87 wrecks were identified as those that were the most likely potentially polluting threats in the U.S. This chapter focuses on three of those wrecks which were initially studied as part of that desktop exercise and subsequently evaluated through field study and assessment.