THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 23, 1994 TAG: 9409230544
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The runaway-barge collision Thursday that damaged the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel happened exactly one year after 47 Amtrak train passengers and crew members died in Alabama after a similar barge struck a bridge.
The deadly derailment of the Sunset Limited led to proposed barge-safety legislation that, ironically, was approved by a congressional panel Wednesday. That legislation could be presented to the full House and Senate membership for a vote as early as next week.
However, it isn't clear if the sweeping safety regulations proposed by the government and a leading trade group would have prevented Thursday's accident. Even the stiffest proposed regulations focus only on captains' skill and knowledge, not their judgment.
``Essentially, just like any vessel, the decision to navigate in rough weather rests with the master of the vessel,'' said Chief Petty Officer Frank Jennings, a Coast Guard spokesman in Washington. ``That decision is left up to a prudent mariner. He has to make the decision to risk bad weather, or stay inshore and dock until the bad weather passes.''
The nine gravel barges lashed together and pushed by a Tarmac America Inc. tug broke free Thursday as a predicted northeaster blew in. Eight drifted into the bridge-tunnel, which cross the James River between Suffolk and Newport News.
In the Alabama accident, bad weather and human error led to the bridge-barge crash that separated train tracks and derailed a passenger train going 72 mph and sent it plunging into a bayou.
``The majority of companies will not allow their pilots or captains to operate in bad weather,'' said Debra Colbert, spokeswoman for American Waterways Operators, a trade group for the barge and towing industry. ``Inattention to safety will put you out of business faster than the Coast Guard.''
The proposed legislation, if passed, will require additional training for tug captains, and require them to become proficient with navigational equipment, Colbert said by telephone from Arlington, Va.
While most modern tugs have at least some type of navigational equipment, like radar, current regulations don't require captains to learn to use them, Colbert said.
There is no skills test required to receive the lowest-level tow license, Colbert said, but added that most tow companies train their crew members before they apply for a license.
Currently, applicants for a basic tow license must have at least three years of sea service, including six months in the wheelhouse and three months' training in the waters where they plan to work; pass physical and written exams; complete a first-aid and safety course; submit to a criminal-records check; and have no recent drug convictions or addictions.
Colbert said navigational-aid proficiency and skills testing are two of the major components of the proposed safety legislation.
Thursday's accident will likely be reviewed by a Coast Guard marine board of inquiry. If found negligent, the captain could lose his license, and Tarmac America Inc. could face sanctions, Jennings said.
``But just because a particular incident has happened does not mean an individual will take the blame,'' he said. ``An inquiry will look at who's at fault, what steps could have been taken to prevent it, and what will prevent it in the future.'' ILLUSTRATION: PAUL AIKEN/Staff color photos
Rough weather flipped one barge, slamming it into the side of the
Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel. The barge snapped a light
pole on the bridge and submerged.
A tugboat prepares to tow away two of the nine runaway barges on
Thursday. The barges, owned by Tarmac American Inc., were en route
from quarries in the Richmond area.
KEYWORDS: STORMS BRIDGES BARGES by CNB