Environmental assessment for USS Chehalis, Pago Pago Harbor American Samoa
Peshut PJ. 2007. Environmental assessment for USS Chehalis, Pago Pago Harbor American Samoa. Phase III - Cargo inspection. American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency. Pago Pago, AS
USS Chehalis, a 4130-ton displacement Patapsco class gasoline tanker, went to the Pacific early in 1945 and spent seven months providing fuel for motor torpedo boats and other small craft in the Philippines and Okinawa. Beginning in March 1946 Chehalis transported fuel in the central and southern Pacific. On 07 October 1949, while at Tutuila, American Samoa, she suffered a gasoline explosion, burned, and sank in Pago Pago Inner Harbor in about 160 feet of water, some 350 feet north of the fuel dock. A three-phase environmental assessment to determine the probable remaining fuel load and potential for future release was conducted by the American Samoa EPA. Phases I & II (CH2M Hill 2006) included a review of available archival information relevant to ship's structure and operations (Phase 1), a preliminary survey using a submersible ROV (Phase I), an external "stand-off" visual survey by divers that included an inspection of hull and superstructure (Phase II), and sediment and water sampling (Phase Il). Findings for Phases I & II investigations, as presented in the CH2M Hill report. This report (Phase III) documents the latest investigations and presents findings from a direct visual inspection and sampling of ship's cargo tanks via penetration dives, and indirect inspection and sampling of ship's fuel storage tanks via drilling the hull.