Harford Emergency Operations Center To Hold Major Pollution Exercise

HARFORD COUNTY, MD - When issues arise on the Susquehanna River, multiple units are often called to respond from state, federal and local agencies.

To stay prepared, the U.S. Coast Guard announced many of its partners will be conducting a pollution exercise around the Susquehanna River basin on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Thursday, Sept. 21.

The training exercise will take place in two spots in Harford County: on the water at an inlet in Havre de Grace and inside at the Harford County Emergency Operations Center in Hickory, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Barry Bena.

Boats will be out on the water in Havre de Grace practicing how to contain spills, rescue wildlife, skim oil, establish safety zones and protect water intake. This helps agencies prepare in the event they are called upon to respond to complex incidents on the water.

A tabletop discussion will complement the fieldwork, with the Harford County Emergency Operations Center in Hickory serving as the command center. There, representatives from various agencies will coordinate logistics, communications, financial and response planning.

According to the Coast Guard, these partners will be participating in the exercise:

• Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region
• Environmental Protection Agency
• National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
• Maryland State Historic Preservation Office
• Maryland Natural Resources Police
• Maryland Transportation Authority
• Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research
• Other federal, state and local stakeholders

“This exercise provides a tremendous opportunity for maritime professionals from across the Chesapeake River basin to practice our inter-agency spill response while safeguarding our community, our environment and maritime infrastructure,” Coast Guard Commander Mike Batchelder, the acting incident commander for the exercise, said in a statement.

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File photo of Harford County Department of Emergency Services in Hickory.