Evaluators and participants from the Oil Spill Response Operations Co. debrief following an oil spill response exercise off Saipan on June 26, 2024. (Sara Muir/U.S. Coast Guard)
The U.S. Coast Guard led a first-of-its-kind exercise in environmental disaster cleanup recently near Saipan alongside local and federal agencies, the service announced Tuesday.
Participants in the drill, dubbed Lina’la Halom Tasi Exercise 2024, responded to a simulated oil spill June 25 to 27 near the Port of Saipan, Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam spokeswoman Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir said in a Tuesday news release.
“The exercise tested our collective response strategies to a simulated oil spill scenario and reinforced our preparedness infrastructure, making it a highly valuable endeavor for all involved,” Muir told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday.
The exercise was the first full-scale pollution response exercise in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and showcased the Coast Guard relationship with the commonwealth, a U.S. territory, according to Sector Guam commander Cmdr. Ryan Crose.
“Our joint efforts in everything from the regional response plan to testing it in this exercise significantly improved our ability to respond effectively to maritime emergencies, ensuring the safety and security of our waters,” he said in the release.
Evaluators from the Coast Guard,Fish and Wildlife Service and the Northern Marianas' Bureau of Coastal Resource Management observe a simulated oil spill response at Saipan on June 26, 2024. (Sara Muir/U.S. Coast Guard)
The commonwealth, which has no oil reserves or refineries, meets nearly all of its energy needs through imported petroleum products delivered through ports on Saipan and Tinian, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s website.
The territory imported more than $83 million of refined petroleum in 2022, its top import, according to The Observatory of Economic Complexity website.
Lina’la Halom Tasi, which translates to “life in the ocean” in Chamorro, tested the organizations’ abilities to respond to an oil spill, dispose of contaminated materials and establish effective communication, according to the news release.
The exercise included personnel training, equipment drills and a post-scenario review.
Sector Guam worked with the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands’ Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Commonwealth Port Authority and Isla Petroleum & Energy to lead the exercise.
The Coast Guard’s involvement helped train local personnel and improve their overall emergency response capabilities, according to Franklin Babauta, special assistant for the Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in the release.
Additional participants included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and various local and regional agencies, according to the release.
About 65 people participated overall, Muir said by email.
“Given the success of this year’s exercise and the invaluable insights gained, all parties desire and intend to conduct another full-scale pollution response exercise next year,” she added.
