GULF OF MEXICO - A Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin helicopter lands on the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute while work continues at the Deepwater Horizon spill site as part of the largest oil spill response in history, July 4, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class John Masson.As most active ute monitors are aware the USCG is using 5320.0 kHz for oil spill operations in the Gulf of Mexico. According to one report on UDXF their is an audio stream via the internet of the freq (click here to monitor).
Just a small caveat here regarding 5320.0 kHz. Comms on this primary USCG frequency, even at this point are not entirely oil spill related. For instance, during the Haitian earthquake operations, this was a USCG operations primary freq. Per USCG Comm instruction here are some of the assignments for this USCG multi-use freq:
USCG District 5 Operations Working Simplex/Air-to-Ground
USCG District 7 Operations Working Simplex
USCG District 8 Operations Working Simplex/Air-to-Ground
USCG District 9 Emergency Net
USCG District 11 Operations Working Simplex
USCG District 14 Operations Working Simplex
I'm sure that things have changed since my last official updates, but this has always been an interesting frequency in the past to keep in my HF scan memory.
Other possible oil spill frequencies to watch (if your within LOS) include:
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATIONS FREQUENCY (165KF3E)
157.075 MHz (Ch. 81) (Simplex and Transportable Repeater Transmit)
150.980 MHz (Mobile Transmit/Transportable Repeater Receiver)
Channel 81 has been established for interface communications between the Coast Guard and non-Government entities (including oil spill cleanup contractors/cooperatives) involved in oil discharge removal or other environmental protection operations in support of National Oil Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan and Joint Canada - U.S. Marine Pollution Contingency Plan for Spills of Oil and other Noxious Substances. Channel 81 will not be used for communications between non-Government cleanup activities to support their own operations. Use of Channel 81, by non-Government stations, is limited to mobile stations, operated by supervisory personnel in charge of removal operations, for communications with the Coast Guard and will be on Coast Guard owned equipment. Coast Guard owned equipment, loaned for this purpose, will not be licensed by the FCC.
The frequency 150.980 MHz is a non-government channel reserved for oil spill containment and cleanup operations. It is authorized for Coast Guard use on a shared basis with non-Federal Government activities as a mobile Transmit/Transportable Repeater receive frequency in support of oil spill containment and cleanup operations and for training purposes.