Incidents
The following are brief examples of emergency management and risk mitigation
services, which have been provided by the MEREDITH team.
Research Vessel Aground on Atoll in South Pacific – Atoll,
HI 2005
A research vessel with a crew of divers was on a mission to remove debris
from the reefs in this marine sanctuary. Sadly the vessel’s position
was faulty and the vessel went hard aground. Meredith provided the complete
Incident Management Team to coordinate with agency and owner personnel
in assuring the vessel did not release petroleum products into this sensitive
ecosystem and could be safely extracted with minimum of environmental
damage.
Barge Explodes, Partially Sinks in Canal - Stickney, IL 2005
An inland barge, loaded with clarified slurry oil (CSO) was ravaged by
an explosion. Tragically, a crewman was lost and the barge partially sank.
The tank tops were blown off the last three cargo tanks but little oil
escaped as the CSO is heavier than water. Meredith provided the Incident
Management Team to assist the owner in organizing the response, coordinating
with agency and commercial interests, and auditing all incident costs.
Vessel Loses 265,000 Gallons of Crude Oil - Paulsboro, NJ 2005
A foreign flagged vessel lost an estimated 265,000 gallons of heavy crude
oil as it was enroute to a refinery in the Northeast. During transit the
vessel listed eight-degrees to the left and lost power.
The source of the loss was secured and authorities were notified. There
were multiple (an estimated 28) Federal, State, and Local agencies, a
Responsible Party representative, and refinery representatives cooperating
to clean-up the spill and minimize the impact to the environment.
Meredith provided personnel to support clean up contractor’s project
management, financial and administrative management support to the clean
up efforts.
Barge Experiences Toxic Vapor Release - Brusly, LA 2004
Meredith provided Incident Management Team services to a barge owner,
under an Emergency Response Management contract with a major insurer,
in response to reports of a barge releasing noxious vapors. Initial public
safety concerns were addressed with evacuations, shelter-in-place and
isolation of the barge. The team worked closely with the barge owners
and shippers of the product, and was responsible for all aspects of the
incident management, which included coordination with federal, state and
local agencies; site safety; response operations; plans for sampling,
product stabilization and safe transits; waste management; cost control
and incident documentation. The incident was safely concluded when the
product was returned to its point of origin with a highly regulated and
monitored transit that passed through four separate USCG zones.
Vessel Grounding and Salvage with Pollution Risk - San Juan, Puerto Rico 2003
Meredith was assigned by the insurer to evaluate the environmental pollution
risk assessment, response actions with related costs, and assist with
coordination of the environmental protection efforts during the salvage
operations of a 526' general cargo vessel off the entrance to San Juan
Harbor. Meredith was able to resolve the contracting issues in a cost
effective and equitable manner, and to evaluate the response to the environmental
protection efforts, which had been required to satisfy all regulatory
agencies. The vessel was re-floated without incident, and the environmental
protection efforts were satisfactory, the costs were effectively evaluated
and mitigated.
Barge releases 98,000 gallons of No. 6 Oil, 2003
 Barge
transiting the Cape Cod Canal strikes an obstruction during transit. The
barge released an estimated 98,000 gallons of No. 6 Oil. The lead contractor
was responsible for sourcing and managing the majority of the labor force,
safety, logistics, decontamination of the OSRV and project, and solid
and liquid disposal. MEREDITH provided financial and administrative management
support to the lead contractor.
Heavy fuel oil spill in Charleston, SC 2002
 A
heavy fuel oil spill contaminated the shoreline and piers of the Charleston
Navy Yard and the shoreline of Charleston harbor. Originally the cleanup
was managed by the USCG and then when a container vessel, operated by
a major international shipping company, discovered that the oil had come
from one of their fuel tanks, MEREDITH was retained to manage the incident
and protect the liability of the shipping company and their insurers.
MEREDITH assumed control of the incident management of cleanup operation
from the USCG and established a coordinated incident management team,
which cleaned over ten miles of oil contaminated property and shoreline,
and settled all damage claims without any legal action or additional liability
for our clients.
 Etiological/Infectious
Agent Decontamination 2001
Five mail processing machines tested positive for anthrax at the nations’
largest mail processing and distribution center located in New York City,
NY. The attack was in the middle of the busy season for the postal facility.
Several internal and external pressures were present. The lead contractor
provided a full service solution for the cleaning and disinfecting of
the anthrax-infected machines and the associated work areas. This difficult
project was accomplished safely, ahead of schedule and under budget. MEREDITH
provided financial management services to the lead contractor in support
of the decontamination operations of the processing machines restoring
the center to 100% utilization.
Terrorist attack in New York City, NY 2001
 On
September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were severely
damaged when two hijacked planes flew consecutively into Tower 1 and 2
ultimately resulting in the collapse of each tower and some surrounding
buildings. One of the first contractors on site was tasked with providing
and maintaining wash stations for personnel and vehicles. MEREDITH provided
financial and logistic management services in support of the decontamination
operations at the World Trade Center disaster site. This work ensured
effective and organized documentation of services and invoices in this
multi-million dollar operation, which was conducted in an extremely stressful
and political work environment.
Barge spill in Ohio River, Paducah, Kentucky 2000
During transfer operations, a hose ruptured and spilled several hundred
gallons of waste oil into the Ohio River. MEREDITH coordinated response
with terminal, barge company, and regulatory personnel to minimize the
impact and to mitigate the liabilities of owners and insurer.
Pipeline Rupture and Spill in the Patuxent River, Eagle Harbor,
Maryland 2000
 This
pipeline rupture released approximately 200,000 gallons of No. 6 and No.
2 oil into a marsh. The oil escaped its initial containment and impacted
over twenty miles of shoreline and marsh areas. MEREDITH provided emergency
response management resources to support the company management efforts
after the situation had gotten out of control. These management resources
included command, safety, security, operations, waste management, planning,
logistics, finance and environmental coordination during the emergency
response phase of the project.
Pipeline Spill in the Andean Plateau, Oruro, Bolivia 2000
 MEREDITH
provided spill management support services for over 8 weeks in response
to a pipeline rupture that contaminated 150 kilometers of river and shoreline.
Services included operations, waste management, planning, logistic and
financial resources, as well as coordinating environmental assessment
and remediation planning. The cleanup operations were organized in an
ICS-based response management organization to support and document the
pipeline company response efforts.
Significant soot release contaminated two marinas and structures
on south end of Staten Island, NY 1998
During the night, an extended malfunction of a diesel fired heater created
a significant soot release from the vessel. MEREDITH provided management
resources for command, safety, operations, planning, logistics and finance
as well as coordinated the third party claims administration, to minimize
the damages from the release.
Multiple train car derailment involving hazardous materials,
Marianna, Florida 1997
 The
derailment of thirty-four rail cars some transporting chlorine, hydrogen
peroxide, sodium hydroxide in a remote location required mobilization
of equipment and personnel to support the clearing of the tracks, off-loading
of damaged cars, containment of environmental impact, and clean-up of
contamination. MEREDITH team supported the project management with safety,
logistics, environmental, and financial services.
Oil Tanker strikes bridge and spills 179,000 gallons of fuel
oil, Portland, Maine 1996
 Representing
a major ocean carrier, MEREDITH provided spill management team resources
to support complete incident management responsibilities. This included
command, safety, operations, waste management, planning, documentation,
environmental, NRDA coordination, logistics, purchasing, staging, distribution,
medical services, security, contract administration, finance, cost reports,
invoice audits, cost documentation control, third party claims coordination
and support services. Clean-up operations of the harbor and rocky coastline
lasted over 7 weeks. MEREDITH coordinated support of multiple contractors
from around the country to provide the needed personnel, equipment and
expertise to complete the task as directed, with minimal environmental
impact and third party claims exacerbation, and no litigation.
A 42” pipeline ruptures and releases over one million gallons
of diesel fuel in Greenville, S.C. 1996
 MEREDITH
supported the operations, safety and logistics management of two major
contractors responding to this significant release of fuel oil into a
fresh water river, which fed a large reservoir. The operations zones and
staging areas covered miles of riverbank with limited access and multiple
challenges for personnel.
Vessel at dock hit and 1500 barrels of VGO is released into the
water at Baytown, TX 1996
An underway barge accidentally hit a docked vessel. Before the vessel’s
damaged tank was stabilized 1500 barrels of vacuumed gas oil (VGO) spilled
into the water. Regardless of the cause of the pollution, the owner of
the docked vessel activated his response plan, with MEREDITH supplying
the management personnel in command, safety, operations, logistics, waste
management and finance.
Puncture to side shell of crude oil barge in the Delaware River,
Philadelphia, PA 1995
In this incident, over thirty thousand barrels of crude oil were at risk
of spilling into the environmentally sensitive Delaware River. Prompt
action of the barge crew stabilized the holed tank, and terminal personnel
contained the majority of the 500 barrels spilled. MEREDITH provided incident
management services, which ensured control and coordination of the response
and clean-up actions.
Bulk chemical terminal explosion, fire and site contamination,
Savannah, GA 1995
 MEREDITH
provided project management resources to support safety, operations, planning,
and logistics, as the lead contractor was required to interact with federal
personnel and a hazardous environment. The chemicals present and in the
same berm were sodium hydrosulfide, crude sulfate turpentine, Briquist
80 and Anti-Blaze 80, which were not all compatible and produced a very
unstable condition within the impacted area.
Freighter grounded on coral reef off entrance to Port Everglades
(Ft. Lauderdale), FL 1994
The potential for a serious pollution incident was avoided when all fuel
oil was pumped off the vessel into temporary storage on the beach and
the vessel was re-floated then towed clear of danger. MEREDITH provided
safety, operations, planning, and logistics support for the project management
team.
Collision of vessel and two barges with fire, oil spill, lightering,
wreck removal, Tampa Bay, Florida 1993
 MEREDITH
spearheaded the command team. Members were involved in command, operations,
planning, safety, logistics and finance in support of management of fire
suppression, environmental protection, lightering, beach clean-up, waste
management, logistics, decontamination operations, and restoration projects.
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