Spill prompts fishing ban in parts of bay
Kelly Zito
San Francisco Chronicle
10/31/2009
State regulators have suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting in parts of San Francisco Bay and officials are asking people to avoid some beaches after a tanker ship spilled hundreds of gallons of fuel oil into the bay waters.
So far the fuel oil from Friday's accident has not coated local beaches, although environmental groups said it is still too early to tell the full extent of the damage.
At 6:48 a.m. Friday, the Panamanian tanker Dubai Star spilled bunker oil into the bay as the ship was being refueled about 2 1/2 miles south of the Bay Bridge.
Initial estimates on the amount of oil spilled varied from only a few gallons to several thousand; but this morning, Coast Guard officials put the number at between 400 and 800 gallons. The agency pointed to mechanical failure as the potential cause of the spill.
The California Department of Fish and Game said the ban on fishing and shellfish harvesting would remain in effect until state health officials could evaluate any contamination caused by the spill. The agency also warned against eating seafood caught in the spill area.
"Protecting the public's health is our top priority," said Joan Denton, director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the science branch of the California Environmental Protection Agency. "It's a good idea to avoid any fish from the spill area until further notice."
The agency said closed areas include the Alameda County shoreline between the Bay Bridge and the San Mateo Bridge. Fishing should also be avoided in sections where there is a visible sheen.
Friday's spill occurred just one week shy of the two-year anniversary of the disastrous Cosco Busan incident, in which more than 50,000 gallons of bunker fuel spewed into the bay, killing thousands of birds and fouling bay shorelines. Agencies responding to that spill were criticized for poor communication and the slow pace of the containment effort.
Some environmental groups questioned the speed of Friday's response, saying it should not have taken four hours to get booms placed around the tanker ship. By Friday evening, the bay was covered in an oil slick about three miles long.
The Coast Guard said its crews responded as quickly and effectively as possible.
Emergency response crews dispatched patrol boats, oil skimmers, utility boats and helicopters in the hours after the spill as well as 11,000 feet of containment boom.
This morning crews are taking to the skies and beaches to assess the location and potential landfall of the spill.
Environmental watchdogs are particularly worried about oil coating migratory birds or washing ashore in sensitive habitats.
So far there were few reports of wildlife harmed, but the Oiled Wildlife Car Network planned to assess area beaches today. The group said it is not asking for volunteer help at this point, but asked members of the public to report any oiled wildlife on its hotline: (877) 823-6926.
