1:14: A mechanical failure during a fueling operation apparently caused a spill from a tanker this morning that has resulted in an oil sheen of at least a mile in the San Francisco Bay, a U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant said.
The spill was reported at 6:48 a.m. from a vessel anchored at Anchorage Nine, located about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, according to Lt. Steve Youde.
The vessel that apparently leaked the oil is the Dubai Star, a Panamanian-flagged tanker that carries oil and other chemicals, according to the Coast Guard. The spill occurred while the vessel and a fuel barge were conducting bunkering operations.
The crew of the ship realized there was a mechanical failure and cut off the source of the spill, Youde said. It is not known how many gallons of oil spilled, he said.
Two vessels were at the scene this afternoon from the National Response Corp., the company the Coast Guard has contracted to cleanup the spill, according to Youde.
The Coast Guard has also deployed five booming vessels to environmentally sensitive areas, and have put down 1,100 feet of booming material at the spill site, Youde said.
Local oil spill response organizations have been notified about the incident. One such organization, the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, has been notified, according to spokesman Paul Kelway.
“We don’t know if any birds are affected, but we’re certainly looking into it,” he said.
10:59 AM: U.S. Coast Guard crews are investigating an oil spill from a vessel in the San Francisco Bay this morning.
The spill was reported at 6:48 a.m. from a vessel anchored at Anchorage Nine, located about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, according to the Coast Guard.
The vessel that apparently leaked the oil is the Dubai Star, a Panamanian-flagged tanker that carries oil and other chemicals, according to the Coast Guard. The spill occurred while the vessel and a fuel barge were conducting bunkering operations.
The Coast Guard immediately dispatched a small boat from its San Francisco station to evaluate the incident, and a Coast Guard helicopter will also be conducting an aerial overview of the area.
The initial report was that the sheen is about a mile to a mile-and-a-half long, but Coast Guard officials do not know how much oil was spilled into the water.
A 100-yard security zone has been established around the vessel and spill site, and local oil spills response organizations have been notified about the incident.
One such organization, the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, has been notified, according to spokesman Paul Kelway.
“We don’t know if any birds are affected, but we’re certainly looking into it,” he said.
9:04 AM: U.S. Coast Guard crews are responding this morning to an apparent oil spill from a boat anchored in the San Francisco Bay, a Coast Guard lieutenant said.
The spill was reported at about 7 a.m. from the Dubai Star, a vessel located at Anchorage 9 south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, according to Lt. Steve Youde.
The initial report was that the sheen is about a mile to mile-and-a-half long, Youde said.
Coast Guard crews are responding to the spill via boat and helicopter.
