The Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) marine casualty investigators boarded the containership MSC Danit, Saturday, at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., in relation to the Oct. 2 oil spill in Orange County.
Prior to the visit, the Coast Guard determined that the MSC Danit, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.(MSC), was involved in a Jan. 25, 2021, anchor-dragging incident during a heavy weather event that affected the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The anchor-dragging incident occurred in close proximity to a subsea pipeline, which was subsequently discovered to be the source of the Orange County oil spill on Oct. 2, 2021.
As a result, the Coast Guard designated MSC, the operator of the vessel, and Dordellas Finance Corp., the owner of the vessel, as parties in interest to the marine casualty investigation as defined by 46 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 6303 and 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 4.03-10.
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.
Members of the public who would like to share information deemed relevant to the investigation are encouraged to contact the Coast Guard at [email protected].
