Tugboat sinks at berth, spills oil off California’s Treasure Island

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
 
(SAN FRANCISCO) — The Coast Guard, Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, local agencies, and other partner organizations continued unified efforts in response to an oil spill that occurred Monday afternoon when the tugboat Wenonah sank at her berth at Pier One on Treasure Island.
The tugboat is estimated to have contained between 500 to 700 gallons of an oily water mixture. Cleanup crews have recovered 200 to 300 gallons of the oily water. The majority of what was on board the tugboat has been contained by the boom. A small amount of oil has caused light sheening in the surrounding area. Cleanup crews have deployed 1,200 feet of containment boom to prevent further release into the environment.
Today’s operational objectives include ensuring public and responder safety, protecting the environment, and continuing to contain and recover the oily water mixture. The unified command is facilitating a salvage proposal.
The Department of Fish and Game is continuing to monitor impacts to wildlife and the environment. There have been no reports of impacts to wildlife or identified sensitive sites.

The public is an invaluable partner in the protection of the environment. They are encouraged to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 to report any possible pollution or environmental threats. The National Response Center is the primary federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills and is based out of Washington, D.C..

By Professional Mariner Staff