The Unified Command for the Kulluk grounding announced today that some of the resources that were brought in and made available for the salvage operations of the Kulluk while she was grounded near Ocean Bay are being demobilized.

The support vessels will remain with the Kulluk however as it undergoes an assessment. Remote Operated Vehicles, or ROVs are arriving today today at the drill rig and will be used to inspoect the hull of the vessel.

Unified Command, along with local representation from Old Harbor Native Corporation, are surveying the area to obtain GPS coordinates that will enable the recovery of lifeboats and other debris from the Kulluk. Time and weather permitting, the team today will begin collecting debris from the shoreline.

The United States Coast Guard announced today that Rear Admiral Thomas P. Ostebo , the Commander of the 17th District has ordered a formal marine casualty investigation into the circumstances of the grounding of the Kulluk. The investigation will also delve into the contributing factors of the grounding. A Coast Guard investigating officer will take up the lead in the investigation and will have the support of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the National Transportation Safety Board.

According to the Coast Guard’s release, “the formal investigation will probe every aspect of the incident, to include but not limited to the causes of the incident, whether there is evidence that any failure of material was involved or contributed to the incident or whether there is evidence of misconduct, inattention, negligence of willful violation of the law.

Additionally the investigation will evaluate factors associated with the Kulluk and its support vessels, and will determine as closely as possible:

– The cause of the accident looking at the full scope of all towing vessels, towing equipment, procedures and personnel involved;

– Whether there is evidence that any failure of material (either physical or design) was involved or contributed to the casualties, so that proper recommendations for the prevention of the recurrence of similar casualties may be made;

– Whether there is evidence that any act of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence, or willful violation of the law on the part of any person holding a Coast Guard credential contributed to the casualties, so that appropriate proceedings against the credential of such person may be recommended;

– Whether there is evidence any person caused or contributed to the cause of the casualties including the planning and subsequent review of the Kulluk’s tow plan;

The marine casualty investigation likely will take several months to complete due to the extent and depth of its inquiry. The findings of the investigation will position the Coast Guard to take appropriate remedial action to address the factors that contributed to the casualty.”

Alaska’s Governor Sean Parnell issued a statement on the Kulluk for the first time today, in it he said, “We appreciate those who worked diligently, across multiple agencies, to ensure the Kulluk’s safe arrival at Kiliuda Bay. The temporary grounding of the Kulluk was unfortunate, and we commend all who strove to ensure that people and the environment remained safe during the response effort.

“Some anti-drilling organizations are using this transportation mishap to demand an immediate halt to offshore drilling. We disagree. Many wells have been safely drilled in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf, and the development of offshore oil production is a critical part of our energy future. We believe it is strongly in the state’s and the nation’s interest that we continue to responsibly explore the vast hydrocarbons known to be available in the shallow waters of the Arctic OCS.”

Senator Begich spoke publicly for the first time about the Kulluk incident as well today. In a statement, Begich, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard said he intends to hold a meeting in Alaska to take a closer look into the incident. Begich has penned a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp and Shell Oil President Marvin Odem regarding the grounding incident it was announced.

In the letter, Senator begich said, “Over the past four years, I have worked closely with both of you to ensure we develop the vast oil and gas resources in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas with the highest standards for safety and environmental protection.” Begich went on to say in the letter, “Moving ahead with the Arctic drilling program is critical to Alaska’s economic future. While this incident notably involves marine transportation and not oil exploration or drilling, we must quickly answer the many questions surrounding the Kulluk grounding and improve any regulatory or operational standards as needed to ensure this type of maritime accident does not occur again.”

The full content of the letter can be read here.