Curtas do Bryant´s

Morehead City – hazardous material release closes port

The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that it is working with state and local authorities to respond to a hazardous material release in the port of Morehead City, North Carolina. A two-mile wide safety zone has been established around the state port. (1/12/10). The chemical involved has been tentatively identified as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) - a powerful explosive, which is used both by the military and by industry. This is the same explosive allegedly used by the Nigerian individual in the Christmas Day incident on the flight from the Netherlands to Detroit.

DOJ – Somali charged with additional hijackings

The US Department of Justice issued a news release stating that a superseding indictment has been filed against Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, alleging that he and others hijacked two merchant vessels off the coast of Somalia before he and three others hijacked the M/V Maersk Alabama on April 8, 2009 and held its master hostage for four days. Mr. Muse was taken into custody on April 12, 2009 after his associates were killed by US military personnel during the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips. (1/12/10).

USCG Hurricane and Heavy Weather Contingency Plans – updated

My website – Bryant’s Maritime Consulting – includes a page titled “Hurricane Contingency Plans”. It includes what I believe to be the current versions of hurricane and heavy weather contingency plans from numerous Coast Guard sectors. It has recently been updated to include the 2009-2010 Operating Procedures for Severe Weather in the Aleutian Islands and Pribilof Islands, promulgated by Captain of the Port, Western Alaska. If you are aware of a plan that is not on my list, or an updated version of a currently included plan, please advise me so that my list can be corrected.

IMO – Arab Maritime Transport Academy opened in Port Said

The IMO issued a news release stating that Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos formally opened an extension of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Port Said, Egypt. (1/11/10).

IMSO – Pacific Cooperative LRIT Data Centre

The International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) issued a news release stating that it signed a Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) Services Agreement with Maritime Communications Services Pte Ltd, as operator of the Pacific Cooperative LRIT Data Centre established by Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Mongolia. A total of 33 LRIT Services Agreements have now been signed between IMSO and LRIT Data Centre operators. (1/4/10).

Singapore – search for sunken tug terminated

The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) issued a news release stating that the search for missing persons from the sunken tug Ocean Lark has been terminated. During the seven day search effort, two survivors were rescued and seven bodies were found. Four persons remain unaccounted for. (1/12/10). Fonte: Dennis Bryant.