Boyd & Jenerette Partner and aviation law expert Ed Booth was quoted in a September 8, 2019 story by News4Jax titled, “Capsized cargo ship causes environmental concerns.”

Click on the link to read the full News4Jax article.

Excerpts from the article appear below:

BRUNSWICK, Ga. - The Coastal Health District issued a swimming advisory for St. Simons and Jekyll Island beaches until more is known about the environmental impact of a cargo ship that capsized in the St. Simons Sound early Sunday morning.

The Coastal Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources will conduct water quality sampling to ensure the safety of shellfish harvesting beds and swimming off the beaches.

"We also have pollution mitigation efforts in the works. We have established a unified command for (putting) mitigation strategies into effect. The unified command consists of U.S. Coast Guard, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Gallagher Marine Services representing the responsible party," said Norm Witt, commander of the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Unit.

He adds they have a plan of action in place now.

"Currently, we're mobilizing resources, activating our area contingency plan and, uh taking all steps necessary to mitigate potential pollution. In addition to the pollution, we're also looking at the salvage piece ... and again, to uh, our strategy to that, we've implemented a unified command to effect salvage as quickly as possible," Witt said.

News4Jax aviation expert Ed Booth flew over and snapped photos of what appeared to be an oil slick from the barge accident.

"I looked out the window, and there it was. I took my cellphone out and snapped a couple of photographs of it from 4,000 feet.  It appears to me that oil is leaking from the vessel. And, at this time, it's streaming to the south towards the northern tip of Jekyll Island. The next body of land it would hit would be Cumberland Island," Booth said. "This could be a real environmental problem, if not disaster, due to the oil leaking from this vessel."

About Ed Booth

Partner and Florida aviation law expert Ed Booth handles complex civil litigation matters involving aviation, products liability, trucking and transportation, construction, premises liability, and asbestos. He was the first attorney in Florida to be Board Certified in Aviation Law by The Florida Bar, a designation he has held since 1996. He currently serves as a member of The Florida Bar’s Aviation Law Committee.

Ed is an experienced pilot and aircraft owner with firsthand knowledge of aircraft operations, issues and regulations. He holds a multi-engine Air Transport License and has more than 3,600 hours of flight experience.