Update 4: Coast Guard, partner agencies to conduct fuel removal operations on sunken barge near Bay Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO — A unified command comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, Vortex Marine Construction and Bay Area Rapid Transit District scheduled a fuel removal from the sunken 112-foot freight barge Vengeance Wednesday.

During fuel removal operations, the fuel remaining aboard the Vengeance barge will be pumped from the Vengeance into fuel containers positioned on a second work barge for disposal.

Global Diving and Salvage is expected to conduct fuel removal operations Wednesday, though the actual timing of the operation may fluctuate depending upon environmental and other conditions.

Though a discharge of fuel is not expected to occur during this transfer process, divers will secure an underwater fuel containment dome over the Vengeance fuel fill connection as a precaution to prevent any fuel from reaching the surrounding waters during the transfer. Pollution containment boom will also be available for deployment in the case of a larger pollution discharge.

Fuel will be removed from the Vengeance in order to prepare the barge for removal from the sea floor at a later date. Plan development for removal of the barge from the sea floor remains in progress and could take several additional weeks once fuel removal is complete.

Mariners are requested to abide by the 350-meter (1,148 feet) safety zone and monitor local media channels, as the safety zone is subject to change. Marine information broadcasts to local mariners will continue while the safety zone is in effect.

The Vengeance capsized April 7 south of the Bay Bridge.

U.S. Coast Guard 11th District Pacific Southwest
Contact: 11th District Public Affairs
Office: (510) 437-3325
After Hours: (510) 772-8865

UPDATE: SAN PABLO SHEEN EVENT UNIFIED COMMAND RESPONSE CONCLUDES, AGENCY INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE

RODEO, Calif. — The Unified Command established for the San Pablo Bay sheen event was demobilized Friday as the sheen has dissipated and there is no additional cleanup work to perform.

The Unified Command was formed to respond to the sheen and is responsible only for coordination of cleanup operations. More information on the role of the unified command can be found at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=101258&inline.

Separate from the Unified Command response, Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel will continue their investigations into a broad range of potential sources of the sheen including refineries, facilities and vessels. Both agencies have collected samples of the sheen along with samples from various potential sources.

Information and updates on those investigations will be released from the respective investigating agencies when available.

• No new sheen has been observed since Wednesday morning.
• Operations at the Phillips 66 Rodeo refinery marine dock remain temporarily shut down. Other refinery operations are unaffected.
• Cleanup operations are complete and containment boom is still in the area and scheduled to be removed Saturday.
• There have been no reports of oiled wildlife.
• There have been no injuries associated with the release.

Contacts:

• Coast Guard at 510-772-8865
• California Fish and Wildlife at 916-952-3317
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District at http://www.baaqmd.gov

Previous news releases can be viewed at the Coast Guard District 11 Newsroom page.

UPDATE: UNIFIED COMMAND CONTINUES INVESTIGATION, RESPONSE INTO SAN PABLO BAY SHEEN EVENT

RODEO, Calif. — The unified command established for the San Pablo Bay sheen event continues its joint investigation and response Thursday into the source and cause of the sheen.

A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco completed a flyover of the San Pablo Bay area Thursday morning reporting no visible sheen. No sheen has been observed in the area since Wednesday afternoon.

The unified command consists of the Coast Guard, California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Contra Costa County’s Hazardous Materials Department and Phillips 66. Personnel from the National Response Center and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District continue their response efforts.

Phillips 66 personnel have temporarily suspended operations at their facility’s Rodeo refinery marine dock while inspections and the investigations continue into what caused the sheen.

• The source and volume of the material released are still unknown.
• Containment boom remains in place at the dock.
• There have been no reports of oiled wildlife.
• As part of the ongoing investigation, Phillips 66 is scheduled to conduct testing of dock transfer pipelines Thursday, and inspections of the ship docked at the refinery continue.
• Federal and state agencies continue to investigate a broad range of potential sheen sources including refineries, facilities and vessels.

There have been no injuries associated with the release. The safety of the public, responders and protection of the environment are of utmost importance. These priorities will guide the efforts of the agencies on the response.

The Coast Guard identified a sheen Tuesday just over a mile long by 40 yards wide on the water in the northern San Pablo Bay area. A second sheen was identified Wednesday during a Coast Guard overflight near Phillips 66’s Rodeo refinery marine dock. Several vessels and skimmers conducted containment and cleanup operations and 1,000-feet of boom was placed on the water surrounding the refinery dock. As of Wednesday afternoon, there has been no visible sheen surrounding the dock or in the northern part of the bay.

For media inquiries, please contact the Joint Information Center at 510-245-5920.

Spokespersons from the Coast Guard and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response will be available for interviews at the Phillips 66 facility parking lot at 2:30 p.m.

To report oiled wildlife, please call 877 UCD-OWCN (823-6926).

Previous news releases can be viewed at www.uscgnews.com

Contact: Rodeo Joint Information Center
Office: (510) 245-5920

UPDATE: UNIFIED COMMAND HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR SAN PABLO BAY SHEEN

RODEO — A unified command has been established with the United States Coast Guard, California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response, Contra Costa County’s Hazardous Materials Department and Phillips 66 to respond to oil sheen in San Pablo Bay.

Unified Command is a structure that brings together agencies that have spill response authority and organizations involved in a spill incident in order to coordinate an effective response, while allowing each to carry out their own jurisdictional, legal and functional responsibilities.

Additional responding agencies include the National Response Center (NRC) along with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Operations at the marine terminal have been temporarily shut down as the incident and the cause of the sheen are investigated.

• The source and volume of the material released is unknown at this time.
• Spill containment boom has been deployed.
• A plan is being created at this time to clean up the area around the vessel.

The safety of the community, the environment and the public are of utmost importance. These priorities will guide the efforts of the agencies on the response. There have been no injuries associated with the release and there is no anticipated health impact to the community. No visibly oiled wildlife have been reported or observed at this time.

For media inquiries, please contact the Joint Information Center 510-245-5920.

To report oiled wildlife, please call 877 UCD-OWCN (823-6926).

http://www.uscgnews.com/

Sector San Francisco PAO
Contact: Sector San Francisco Public Affairs
Office: (415) 740-4364

OSPR Investigating Sheen in North San Pablo Bay

San Pablo, Calif. – Office of Spill Prevention and Response is responding to reports of a sheen on the water in north San Pablo Bay.

OSPR field personnel are on their way to investigate the source. Clean up personnel are already on scene. Working with the US Coast Guard, OSPR will assess the situation and further information will be made available at Cal Spill Watch.

Media contact: Amy Norris, OSPR Public Information Officer, (916) 952-3317

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UPDATE: COAST GUARD, PARTNER AGENCIES RESPOND TO REPORTS OF 2 OIL SHEENS IN VALLEJO

SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard and partner agencies continue to respond to reports of two oil sheens on the water in the vicinity of the Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery and northern San Pablo Bay Wednesday.

At approximately 7:40 a.m., the Coast Guard launched a helicopter crew from Air Station San Francisco to conduct a first light overflight of the area. The aircrew identified a sheen just over a mile long by 40 yards wide on the water in the northern San Pablo Bay area. Coast Guard and California Office of Spill Prevention and Response pollution investigators are aboard a small boat taking samples to assist in determining the source.

A second sheen was identified during the Coast Guard overflight near Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery Marine Terminal. Several vessels and skimmers are on scene conducting containment and cleanup operations and 1,000-feet of boom has been placed on the water surrounding the refinery. No oiled wildlife has been observed at this time.

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund has been opened for $25,000.

Coast Guard pollution investigators have not determined the source of either sheen.

An urgent marine information broadcast is being issued to local mariners. Please contact the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center at (415) -399-7300 to report any oil sheen or other pollution.

For additional information regarding the sheen reported Tuesday evening in northern San Pablo Bay, please visit the Coast Guard press release at http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2885466/.

11th Coast Guard District
Contact: District 11 Public Affairs
Email: d11.smb.d11pa@uscg.mil
Office: (510) 437-3808