By an OGJ correspondent
LOS ANGELES, Apr. 26 -- US and Mexican government agencies last week took part in a 3 day, $2.5 million marine exercise that simulated a crude tanker explosion and oil spill off Long Beach, Calif., as well as a vessel collision near San Diego.
The exercise, called the California Spill of National Significance 2004 Drill, began Apr. 20 when a fictitious tanker carrying Arabian crude oil exploded off the coast of Long Beach at 4 a.m. local time.
The organizers issued fictitious press releases to detail progress of the emergency. At noon the same day more "news" was announced of an oil barge and a fishing boat colliding off San Diego, releasing 420,000 gal of fuel oil into the sea.
No oil was actually spread in coastal waters during the drill, but the latest cleanup technology was still deployed while command posts were set up in San Diego, Los Angeles, Los Alamitos, and Ensenada, Mexico.
Officials called it the largest multiagency oil spill exercise in US history, bringing together 1,900 workers from five different government agencies.
"This exercise is an important opportunity for us to work in a unified response effort to protect the public, environment, and economic resources in the event of a major spill," said USCG Vice-Adm. Terry M. Cross, commander of the Pacific area.
Participating agencies included the US Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security's Initial Response Team, and the Mexican government.
