Cargo Ship Spills Oil into San Francisco Bay

Cargo Ship Spills Oil into San Francisco Bay



November 2007 
 In the largest oil 
spill in San Francisco Bay in at least a decade, a container ship 
navigating outbound through heavy fog hit a span of the San Francisco Bay 
Bridge Wednesday morning. 
The collision damaged the 900-foot container carrier Cosco Busan, allowing 
58,000 gallons of bunker fuel to spill into the bay. CALTRANS has 
confirmed there is no structural damage to the bridge. 
Two overflights conducted this morning showed that oil has now spread as 
far south as Hunters Point, east of Treasure Island and Angel Island, up 
through Raccoon Straits and Brook Island along the San Francisco city 
waterfront and past the Golden Gate Bridge as far north as Tennessee Point 
in Marin County. 
Marine Spill Response Corporation and the National Response Center report 
about 8,000 gallons of the oil have been recovered. 
Due to potential health concerns, Baker Beach, Fort Point, Crissy Field, 
China Beach, Kirby Cove, Rodeo Beach, Muir Beach and Angel Island 
shoreline are closed to the public. The ferries are still running to Angel 
Island. 

Public Health Officials reported that people on port property near the 
spill experienced headaches and nausea due to the oil vaporizing into the 
air. While this type of exposure is noxious, breathing oil fumes is not 
associated with long term health effects. "If you cannot smell the oil, 
you are not breathing it," said Mitch Katz, MD, director of San Francisco 
Department of Public Health. 
More than 200 people from federal, state and local agencies and nonprofit 
organizations are responding to the Cosco Busan spill. 
First, fuel was transferred from the compromised tanks to stop the leaking 
and the vessel has been moved to an anchorage in the bay. 
Clean up actions have begun to remove the fuel from the bay. There are 
five skimmers in the bay and three skimmers outside of the Golden Gate 
Bridge working to recover spilled oil. A skimmer is a mechanized oil 
recovery system that uses a belt made from a material that attracts oil. 
Crews have placed 18,000 feet of boom around the Bay Area to protect the 
beaches and wildlife. 
All crewmembers and the pilot that were onboard the Cosco Busan at the 
time of the accident were alcohol tested within the required two hour time 
limit. The results of the tests were negative. 
All crewmembers involved in the navigation of the Cosco Busan including 
the pilot provided samples to be drug tested within the first few hours. 
The results for the drug samples will not be available until early next 
week. 
The Bay Air Quality Management District has been conducting ambient air 
sampling to determine if there is any threat to public health. So far, 
these tests have not shown any significantly elevated levels of volatile 
organic compounds in the areas surrounding the spill. 
"The Air District is responding to odor complaints and monitoring air 
quality in the area to ensure air quality is safe," said Jack Broadbent, 
the Air District's Executive Officer. 
"Although the results from the monitoring show that the levels of hydrogen 
sulfide do not pose a threat to public health, it's prudent to minimize 
your exposure and stay away from the spill areas and avoid contact with 
bay waters," Broadbent said. The ambient air levels observed should not 
result in any long-term adverse health impacts. 
University of California-Davis wildlife experts are leading the rescue of 
oiled birds. Three veterinarians and a veterinary technician arrived at 
Fort Mason Wednesday to organize the rescue effort and begin treating 
injured birds. 
By this afternoon, there were 21 seabirds being treated, all of them surf 
scoters, according to UC Davis veterinarian Michael Ziccardi, director of 
the California Oiled Wildlife Care Network. 
Jonna Mazet, a UC Davis veterinarian and international authority on the 
rescue and treatment of oiled wildlife, has said in the past that for 
every oiled seabird that is found washed ashore, an estimated 10 to 100 
birds died at sea. 
The public is asked to report any injured and or oiled wildlife and not to 
approach or handle as there may be safety concerns. 
The Oiled Wildlife reporting hot line number is 877-823-6926. The oil 
sightings and claims number is 985-781-0804. The public information 
hotline is 415-399-7305. 
The Coast Guard is conducting an investigation as to the cause of this 
incident. 

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