The United States Coast Guard, together with commercial salvage teams, has completed the removal of remaining usable fuel from the grounded barge Defiant near the entrance to San Juan Harbor, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on February 9 when the barge broke free from its towing line during adverse weather conditions. It later ran aground near the harbor entrance at the base of El Morro, becoming lodged between an artificial breakwater and a rock embankment, with its hull making contact with rocks at both ends.
The barge was transporting fuel to the U.S. Virgin Islands, which rely heavily on petroleum products for electricity generation. Local energy authorities stated that a replacement barge has already been arranged, and the grounding is not expected to significantly impact the local economy.
Salvage efforts have been slowed by strong seasonal swells along Puerto Rico’s northern coast. A commercial salvage company has submitted a recovery plan, but officials say refloating the vessel will be challenging due to the difficult location and damage to five of the barge’s ten tanks.
Authorities estimate that about 1,000 gallons of residual fuel were on board at the time of the grounding. While the exact amount released remains unclear, officials expect the environmental impact to be minimal.
The Coast Guard established a unified command with the barge operator and local authorities to oversee response operations. An investigation into the towing line failure and subsequent grounding remains ongoing.
