11/2 11:57 AM: Crews today are continuing to clean areas affected by Friday’s oil spill into the San Francisco Bay, though for the second day no oil sheen is visible on the water, a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer said this morning.
Between 400 and 800 gallons of oil leaked into the Bay from the Panamanian-flagged tanker “Dubai Star” after the vessel’s transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge about two miles south of the Bay Bridge early Friday morning.
About 54,500 feet of boom was placed around the oil, and it was reported Sunday afternoon that the sheen was no longer visible, Coast Guard Petty Officer Larry Chambers said.
The Dubai Star has been anchored at Pier 80 in San Francisco to have its hull cleaned, Chambers said.
As of this morning, wildlife specialists have recovered 36 live birds affected by the oil and 11 dead ones, Chambers said. Two of the 36 live birds collected have since died.
Cleanup crews today are focusing their cleanup efforts on Robert Crown Memorial State Beach, Ballena Bay and Bay Farm Island in Alameda. Robert Crown Memorial State Beach remains closed to the public, according to Chambers.
Anyone who spots an oiled animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue it.
11/2 11:40 PM (AlertSF): Although the clean-up operations and protection of sensitive wildlife areas and species affected by this oil spill will continue in earnest, some of the management staff and selected resources are being released. There was no oil that made it to the shoreline within the City and County of San Francisco. Clean up operations continued to be supported for the East Bay. This will be the last update on this incident unless the situation changes dramatically.
11/1 10:53 PM: At least 11 birds have died as a result of an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay on Friday and dozens more could wind up dead because of the spill, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.
The vessel involved in the oil spill, the Dubai Star, was moved to San Francisco’s Pier 80 this afternoon from its location about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge where the spill occurred.
Early Friday morning, the Panamanian-flagged tanker reported a spill during a fueling operation. The vessel’s transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge, according to the Coast Guard.
Between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay, forming an oil sheen about 2 miles long and about 200 yards wide.
The California Department of Fish and Game recovered 30 live birds that were impacted by the spill, but one of the birds died after being recovered. At least 10 other oiled birds have been found dead, according to the Coast Guard.
State officials anticipate the incident will eventually result in the death of several dozen birds.
The birds that survived the spill have been transferred to the Wildlife Care and Education Center in Fairfield.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is assisting with the search for impacted animals. Anyone who spots an oiled animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue it.
Around the Bay, crews responding to the spill have laid down a total of 42,000 feet of boom, a sponge-like material used to soak up the toxic substance.
Crews have confirmed that the spill has impacted shorelines at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda, as well as at Ballena Bay and Bay Farm Island.
About 80 percent of the cleanup efforts at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach were complete as of this evening, according to the Coast Guard.
The Alameda Estuary is also an area of focus due to its environmental sensitivity and economic importance to shipping operations in the Bay Area.
The California Department of Fish and Game has suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting. The precautionary suspension affects the Alameda County shoreline between the Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
It’s not clear how long the active cleanup will take, but Fish and Game spokeswoman Carol Singleton said overall cleanup efforts, including removing tar balls from beaches, could last about a week.
11/1 4:54 PM: A vessel that was involved in an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay on Friday was moved today to San Francisco’s Pier 80, a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer said this afternoon.
The Dubai Star had been anchored south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge since the spill, but it was moved to Pier 80 for continued hull cleaning.
Crews are continuing to work to clean up the spill today, and state officials anticipate the incident will eventually result in the death of several dozen birds, Coast Guard Petty Officer Rachel Polish said.
Assessment teams focused Saturday’s efforts on Robert Crown Memorial State Beach, located between Kitty Hawk Road and Grand Street in Alameda, according to Polish.
Early Friday morning, the Panamanian-flagged tanker reported a spill during a fueling operation about two miles south of the Bay Bridge.
The vessel’s transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge, according to the Coast Guard. Between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay, forming an oil sheen about 2 miles long and about 200 yards wide.
Wildlife experts have taken dozens of oiled birds to the Wildlife Care and Education Center in Fairfield.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is assisting with the search for impacted animals. Anyone who spots an oiled animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue it.
The cleanup crews focused on Robert Crown Memorial State Beach on Saturday after tar balls reportedly washed ashore at the beach. Oil was also found in Ballena Bay, and assessment teams also responded there, according to the Coast Guard.
The Alameda Estuary is also an area of focus due to its environmental sensitivity and economic importance to shipping operations in the Bay Area.
The Coast Guard deployed boats to allow people to skim oil out of the water and lay down boom, a sponge-like material used to soak up the toxic substance.
The California Department of Fish and Game has suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting. The precautionary suspension affects the Alameda County shoreline between the Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
It’s not clear how long the active cleanup will take, but California Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Carol Singleton said overall cleanup efforts, including removing tar balls from beaches, could last about a week.
10/31 8:43 PM: Crews working to clean up Friday morning’s oil spill have stopped their efforts for the day, and state officials anticipate that the spill will eventually result in the death of several dozen birds in the area, a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer said today.
Assessment teams focused today’s efforts on Robert Crown Memorial State Beach, located between Kitty Hawk Road and Grand Street in Alameda, but stopped when the sun went down tonight to ensure the safety of the cleanup crews, according to Petty Officer Rachel Polish.
Early Friday morning, the Dubai Star, a Panamanian-flagged tanker, reported a spill during a fueling operation about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The vessel’s transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge, according to the Coast Guard. Between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay, forming an oil sheen about 2 miles long and about 200 yards wide.
The Coast Guard does not know how many dead oiled birds have been found, but state officials anticipate several dozen will end up dying because of the oil spill.
Wildlife experts have taken about 30 live oiled birds to the Wildlife Care and Education Center in Fairfield, according to the Coast Guard.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is assisting with the search for affected animals. Anyone who spots an affected animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue the animal.
The cleanup crews focused on Robert Crown Memorial State Beach today after tar bells reportedly washed ashore at the beach. Oil was also found in Ballena Bay, and assessment teams also responded there, according to the Coast Guard.
The Alameda Estuary is also an area of focus due to its environmental sensitivity and economic importance to shipping operations in the Bay Area.
Cleanup crews have also searched areas between Berkeley and Emeryville and found no signs of oil on any shorelines there.
The Coast Guard has deployed 18 boats and people in the boats are skimming oil out of the water and laying down boom, a sponge-like material used to soak up the toxic substance. The vessel has been surrounded with more than 2,000 feet of boom, according to the Coast Guard.
Tides and winds have carried the substance in various directions around the Bay, said California Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Carol Singleton.
Coast Guard officials estimate a six-mile swath of shoreline along Alameda will see some sort of impact.
Ferry operations in the area have not been affected by the spill, according to the Coast Guard.
The California Department of Fish and Game has suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting in the surrounding areas until further notice. The precautionary suspension affects the Alameda County shoreline between the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
It’s not yet clear how long the active cleanup will take, but Singleton said overall cleanup efforts, including removing tar balls from beaches, could last about a week.
10/31 4:35 PM: Crews working to clean up Friday morning’s oil spill in the San Francisco Bay have found some oil washed ashore, and spotted about a dozen oil-slicked birds, a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer said this afternoon.
Assessment teams have reported tar balls have washed ashore at Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda, and some oil in nearby Ballena Bay, according to Petty Officer Erik Swanson. About a dozen oiled birds have been spotted around Alameda, he said.
Early Friday morning, the Dubai Star, a Panamanian-flagged tanker, reported a spill during a fueling operation about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The vessel’s transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge, according to the Coast Guard. Between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay, forming an oil sheen about 2 miles long and about 200 yards wide.
The Coast Guard has deployed 18 boats, Swanson said. “They are either cleaning up directly around the vessel or conducting assessments on the beaches.”
People in the boats are skimming oil out of the water and laying down boom, a sponge-like material used to soak up the toxic substance. The vessel has been surrounded with more than 2,000 feet of boom, Swanson said.
A Coast Guard helicopter is also monitoring the water from above, looking for additional oil.
Crews collected much of the oil with skimmers on Friday, but tides and winds have carried the substance in various directions around the Bay, said California Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Carol Singleton. Coast Guard officials estimate a six-mile swath of shoreline along Alameda will see some sort of impact, she said.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is assisting with the search for affected birds and monitoring the 12 animals already spotted floating in the water, Singleton said. Anyone who spots an affected animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue the animal.
Officials are reminding the public that Friday’s spill is much smaller than the disastrous Cosco Busan spill of 2007. That 53,000-gallon spill caused about $70 million in damage to beaches, wildlife and the fishing industry.
The California Department of Fish and Game has suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting in the surrounding areas until further notice. The precautionary suspension affects the Alameda County shoreline between the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
However, the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment advises the public to avoid fishing anywhere that has a visible sheen.
The OEHHA also warns against consuming any fish or shellfish from the spill area until the water can be analyzed.
The Coast Guard expects to issue updated information later today. It’s not yet clear how long this active cleanup will take, but Singleton said overall cleanup efforts, including removing tar balls from beaches, could last about a week.
10/31 10:54 AM: Cleanup efforts resumed this morning at the site of an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard is estimating between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay Friday morning, after a mechanical failure during a fueling operation, according to Lt. j.g. Jeremy Pichette.
The Coast Guard and other agencies resumed cleanup early this morning, Pichette said. While skimming and booming operations are under way, monitors on the shore will be surveying water and beach areas for signs of oil. Additional aerial assessments will also help spot remaining oil.
The Coast Guard reported at 7 a.m. that no wildlife has been affected so far. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is assisting with search and reconnaissance today. Anyone who spots an affected animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue the animal.
The spill was first reported at about 6:45 a.m. Friday from the Dubai Star, a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying oil and other chemicals. The vessel was anchored about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The vessel’s transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge, according to the Coast Guard. The resulting oil sheen was estimated to be about 2 miles long and about 200 yards wide.
Officials are reminding the public that Friday’s spill is much smaller than the disastrous Cosco Busan spill of 2007. That 53,000-gallon spill caused about $70 million in damages to beaches, wildlife and the fishing injury.
The California Department of Fish and Game has suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting in the surrounding areas until further notice. The precautionary suspension affects the Alameda County shoreline between the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. However the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment advises the public to avoid fishing anywhere that has a visible sheen.
The OEHHA also warns against consuming any fish or shellfish from the spill area until the water can be analyzed.
