Salvage and recovery operations continue at the Port of Long Beach following the cargo vessel Mississippi incident, with all undamaged containers secured.
Crews secured the last of the unaffected containers by late morning on 14 September.
A coordinated team of salvage experts and port labourers—working in step with federal, state, and local authorities—will continue the arduous task of recovering containers containers displaced from two affected bays over the coming days.
Capt. Stacey Crecy, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles – Long Beach, said: “In just a few days, we have made significant progress in securing the vessel cargo and recovering containers.
“This progress was made possible due to the dedication of all participating agencies, vessel managers, the Port of Long Beach, the ITS terminal, and highly skilled ILWU labour working together. Our commitment to safety and collaboration will continue to guide us through the next phases of recovery.”
As of 15 September, 32 containers have been successfully recovered from the waters surrounding Mississippi.
Encouragingly, no further signs of pollution have been observed since the emissions barge leak was contained on 10 September.
The Unified Command remains fully engaged—conducting comprehensive surveys, drone overflights, and underwater dive assessments to steer the response forward.
The overriding priority for the Unified Command remains unchanged: safeguarding the wellbeing of response personnel, the vessel’s crew, and the public at large—followed closely by the protection and stewardship of the local marine environment.
Port operations at Long Beach remain active and, for the most part, unaffected by the incident.
The Coast Guard, Jacobsen Port Pilots, and the Port of Long Beach established a 500-yard safety exclusion zone around Mississippi and continue working closely to manage commercial vessel traffic through the area.
Officials are urging mariners not involved in the response to steer clear of the zone until further notice. The Coast Guard continues to issue marine safety broadcasts to keep navigators informed of ongoing hazards.
An investigation into the incident, led jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board, is ongoing as authorities seek to determine its root cause.
Recently, the Port of Long Beach invested $102 million to purchase and sustain zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment.
