The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board marine casualty investigators boarded the container ship Mediterranean Shipping Company DANIT on Saturday in the Port of Long Beach.
Prior to the visit, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Braden Rostad, chief of investigations in L.A. and Long Beach, determined that the MSC DANIT was involved in an “anchor-dragging incident” during a heavy weather event that impacted the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on January 25, 2021, the statement said.
The incident “occurred in close proximity to a subsea pipeline, which was subsequently discovered to be the source of the Orange County oil spill on October 2, 2021.”
As a result, the Coast Guard designated the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, S.A. (MSC) -- the operator of the vessel and Dordellas Finance Corporation -- the owner of the vessel, as parties in interest to the marine casualty investigation, the statement said.
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“The party in interest designations provide the owner and operator of the MSC DANIT the opportunity to be represented by counsel, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to call witnesses who are relevant to the investigation.”
The Coast Guard marine casualty investigation into the Orange County oil pipeline major marine casualty remains ongoing.
Multiple pipeline scenarios and additional vessels of interest continue to be investigated.
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Anyone who would like to share information deemed relevant to the investigation are encouraged to contact the Coast Guard at OCOILSPILLINV@gmail.com.
