SS Briefing Background • SS Richard Montgomery was an American built during World War II in 1943. • The ship was wrecked on the sandbank in the , near , in August 1944, while carrying a cargo of munitions.

• On 20 August 1944, she dragged anchor and ran aground on a sandbank around 250m from the Medway Approach Channel • As the tide went down, the ship broke her back on sand banks near the , about 2.4km from Sheerness, 8.0km from Southend and 12km from Castle Point. Current Position

• The wreck is at a depth of 15m, on average, and leaning to starboard. • At all states of the tide, the three masts are visible above the water. • About 1,400 tonnes of remain on board. • The wreck is protected under section 2 of the Protection of Wrecks act 1973. • There is a long-term managed strategy for the wreck. • The DfT are the policy lead and have responsibility of the strategy.

Current Risk

• According all surveys, MCA and DfT, the likelihood of explosion is remote. • The site is monitored closely, 24/7. • There is an exclusion zone around the vessel, which is monitored visually and by radar and buoys which are maintained in Sheerness by Medway Ports. • The wreck site is surveyed regularly (annually). Since 2018 there have been 2 surveys per year (A snapshot survey and a full survey). • Whilst there are several areas of deteriorations, the site largely remains stable since 2016. Going Forward

• Based on the information gained from the surveys, the risk associated with the site identified that the masts may be placing undue strain on the rest of the vessel structure. • In light of this, the decision has been made to seek to reduce the height of the masts in order to maintain the integrity of hull and minimise the likelihood of structural collapse of the vessel. • These works are part of the ongoing strategy to ensure that the risks posed by the vessel are suitably monitored, assessed, and managed. • Works are currently scheduled to take place April 2022. • These works will be led by the MCA, DfT and Mod jointly. • The Essex Resilience Forum along with the Kent Resilience Forum and others are fully engaged with the project. • Castle Point Borough Council with partner organisations are working together to monitor the risk and the planned works. Communications • There is likely to be some media attention around these works, which could raise concerns with residents and river users. • As there is a multiagency approach to the works planned, the DfT will be leading on all communications and media information. • Public communications provided by the DfT will be shared by CPBC. • Whilst it is important that CPBC remind residents that these works are being undertaken in a planned and safe way to provide reassurance, too much attention on the works could result in onlookers attending the site. This should therefore be advised against.

FAQ’s Q - Is it likely to spontaneously explode? A - Experts in explosives state that it is exceptionally unlikely to spontaneously detonate.

Q - Has there been a plan to remove the material? A - Due to the current position it is far safer to leave them where they are as removal overtime gets more dangerous. It is something to be considered in the future, if the risk changes. Currently the best course of action is to ensure that there are plans in place to look at managing and mitigating the risk.

Q - What would happen if a vessel hit the wreck? A - Consequences are so variable and would be down to the size of the vessel, the tide, where the collision occurs and many other factors. The monitoring station and monitoring devices are in place to mitigate against this risk. There are also ongoing questions on whether the munitions are even viable at this stage.

Q – What is the greatest risks relating to the vessel? A - The danger of a significant structural collapse.

Q - What modelling has been done to look at the impact on surrounding areas? How could this impact on Castle Point?

A - Highly unlikely for all the explosives go off at the same time and therefore hard to determine the impact.

Q - Would storms impact on the site? A - The sandbank is monitored regularly, and weather does not seem to impact on this area.

Further details and survey results are available here:- The SS Richard Montgomery: Information and survey reports - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)