The Dubai Star was fueling at Anchorage 9 near the Oakland Airport when it suffered a leak in one of its fuel lines. At this time, the type and amount of fuel released are unknown. The Coast Guard has responded with an Incident Management Team to assess the situation. A Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station San Francisco, a 25′ RBS from Station San Francisco, and a team from the National Response Center have also responded. The Coast Guard Cutters Hawksbill and Pike, which are 87′ patrol boats, are also on-scene assessing the spill.

The Coast Guard would like to assure the public that we are taking every possible measure to ensure that this spill is cleaned up in the quickest possible manner to minimize environmental damage. Though it is not the Coast Guard’s role to clean the spill, we are helping with every facet of the response.

Operational priorities remain ensuring the safety of the cleanup crews and that of the general public, containment and recovery of discharged oil, and protection of wildlife and the environment. Cleanup crews have removed 200 to 300 gallons of an oily water mixture from the containment area. Since activating the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund on Monday, response and cleanup costs are approximately $80,000. The unified command continues to review salvage proposals. While on-water oil containment and recovery operations will continue, it is expected that salvage operations of the sunken tug will not commence for an additional 2 to 3 days.

The Department of Fish and Game is continuing to monitor impacts to the local environment as there have been no reports of negative impacts to wildlife or identified sensitive areas.

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is a billion-dollar federal fund established to pay for cleanup and certain other costs when the responsible party is unidentified or unable to pay for oil spills or substantial threats of oil spills to navigable water of the United States.

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..

Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach was notified at 4:45 a.m. Monday of the spill and was informed that the oil was contained with boom and clean-up had been contracted and begun by Clean Seas.

A response team from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara will be monitoring the clean-up and investigating the incident.

Coast Guard Air Station Astoria received a call from a local civilian reporting that a small plane had crashed into the Columbia River near the 17th Street Pier. The two people in the plane were recovered by the Columbia River Bar pilot boat “Arrow # 2″ and taken to the 17th Street Pier where local emergency personnel were waiting.

The Coast Guard Cutter Fir, homeported in Astoria, the Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast, homeported in Astoria launched small boat crews to the scene of the crash along with a 25-foot small response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, Wash., and a small boat from the local sheriffs office also reported to the scene.

The crews are working to recover the plane from the water to minimize environmental damage.

No injuries were reported.

An unknown amount of fuel was reported around the site of the plane crash.

The National Response Center has been notified and Coast Guard Sector Portland investigators are currently en route to the scene.

The cause of the crash is currently unknown.

On Tuesday evening, the vessel ran aground and was pushed in to the bridge due to the high winds. Two crewmembers aboard were rescued by the Coast Guard Cutter Tern and the other climbed on the bridge, after the vessel struck it. The Coast Guard contracted the National Response Corporation to mitigate any pollution threat to the environment yesterday, resulting in the removal of 1300 gallons of diesel fuel from the vessel’s submerged fuel tanks.

Currently, along with our partner agencies, the California Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Game, salvage plans are being discussed. All agencies are working together to determine when and how removal of the vessel will take place in a safe manner. Assessments are continuously being made to evaluate any damage to the vessel and the marine environment. No pollution has been identified on the beaches throughout the incident, however today a visible sheen has been sighted periodically around the vessel. NRC has been mobilized to the scene to contain and recover spilled diesel fuel. They will re-assess wind and sea state conditions to determine if it is safe to deploy containment boom and if that boom would be effective.

The Coast Guard will continue to monitor and respond to any pollution to the environment and disseminate information as it changes.

This morning at 8:20 a.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco recieved a report from the Monterey Harbormaster of a diesel fuel sheen estimated to be 150 by 180 feet in size near the Monterey breakwall. Coast Guard pollution investigators and the National Oceanic Atmoshpheric Administration are on scene to investigate the source to minimize any impact to the environment. Currently the Marine Sanctuary has not been affected and the sheen is expected to dissapate. Response equipment is readily available if nessecary.

The Coast Guard urges the public to report marine pollution by calling the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.

The Coast Guard reminds all who work and play in island waters that conditions may be more dangerous during potentially high surf conditions.

In addition, marinas and boaters are reminded to check that boats in port are properly secured, bilge pumps are functional, and all loose items are removed from decks. Report any boats adrift, pollution or other maritime emergencies to the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center at 808-842-2600 or to the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.

The National Weather Service — www.noaa.gov — has posted hazardous weather outlooks for the entire state of Hawaii to include gale force wind warnings, small craft advisories and high surf advisories. The boating public is strongly encouraged to pay close attention to local weather forecasts before leaving port.

Here are some tips for those who choose to go out on the water during the potentially heavy weather:

• Leave a float plan with a responsible individual who knows your intentions, location and who they should call if you do not return as scheduled.
• Wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket and set the example for your passengers or paddling partners.
• Carry a marine band VHF radio and/or other reliable means of communication.
• Be prepared for the shock of sudden immersion and the disabling effects of cold water. Plan for the worst: dress as though you are going to get wet and be cold.
• Maintain awareness on the water — be aware of activity around your vessel including changing weather, and always know your location.
• Be responsible — know that alcohol and drugs cause accidents and sometimes death.
• Don’t boat alone — boating alone is not recommended. Recreational paddlers canoeists and kayakers often travel with a single craft and one partner, or even solo, but it is recommended you canoe, kayak or boat with at least three people or two craft.
• Know your limitations paddle — be honest with yourself and your companions. Your life and the lives of those in your party may depend on how everyone understands each other’s capabilities.

The sheen was reported to the National Response Center by a near by oil platform. The National Response Center is the sole federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills nationwide. The sheen is located in the Santa Barbara Channel, and about 5 ½ miles offshore.

Currently, the sheen is moving in an easterly direction and the source of the sheen is unknown.

The Coast Guard will conduct an over flight of the area to look for a potential source of the sheen and will continue to investigate this sheen. As part of the investigation, the Coast Guard has contacted all near by oil platforms in the area who have been asked to check their equipment, and have reported no signs of failures or malfunctions.

The sailing vessel Aurora ran aground just south of the Imperial Beach pier at approximately 4:00 a.m. The Imperial Beach life guards rescued the two people onboard and the Coast Guard and National Response Center (NRC) are monitoring the vessel to mitigate the threat of any pollution.

The NRC will remove the fuel from the vessel once the sea state permits operations.

###

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk from Sector San Diego conducted two separate overflights to survey the spill area and confirm the drift. The spill is 3 light sheens covering an area approximately 4,000 by 1,800 yards. Based on current drift models, the spill is expected to remain within 10 miles of the initial spill location and not impact coastal regions.

The sheen is JP-5, a light aviation fuel, and when spilled into open water typically spreads into a thin, rainbow film. Because the film layer is so thin, jet fuels have higher evaporation rates and often break up and dissipate with sufficient emulsion.

“The fuel is projected to remain within the area drifting somewhat west and southwest and dissipate over the next 24-48 hours,” said Jordan Stout, National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration scientific support coordinator to the Coast Guard. “Based on the wind conditions and consistency of the fuel, we do not anticipate it will have a shoreline impact.” The Coast Guard has deployed a data marker buoy to track the sheen’s drift and will monitor it over the weekend.

The Coast Guard notified the National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration, Office of Spill Prevention and Response, and California Department of Fish and Game.

“Mariners are advised to use caution when transiting within the general area of the spill,” said Cmdr. Michael Leon-Guerrero, Chief Office of Prevention.

Mariners should report any impacted areas to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.