Incident News

On November 30, 2023, USCG Sector New York notified the NOAA SSC that a sheen was observed in Gravesend Bay and sections of shoreline were oiled. A Unified Command was been established at Sector New York, Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, NY. The USCG Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) requested NOAA participate in the UC meeting.

On 11/28/2023 the NOAA SSC for AK was notified by EPA regarding a 100 to 500-gallon diesel discharge that occurred on 11/21/2023. The discharge occurred near/into Glacier Creek at Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska. The discharge site is 1-2 miles upstream of Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet. EPA is not requesting any assistance, but requested that NMFS be notified regarding potential impacts to beluga whales. A spill contractor has responded and deployed some absorbent boom.

On November 28, 2023, the NOAA SSC was notified by the USCG and NJ DEP of sporadic tarballs on northern NJ beaches. The amount, source, and extent is currently unknown. In response to these reports, a Unified Command was established by USCG Sectors New York and Del Bay alongside the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, and Monmouth County. The Unified Command is responding to the incident and evaluating response and cleanup methods. The SSC went on-scene to assist with survey and cleanup recommendations

On 27-NOV, USCG Sector Anchorage contacted the NOAA SSC to notify them of a building that had partially collapsed in the City of Diomede, Little Diomede, AK. USCG is reporting a small amount of fuel discharging from the building but the type of product and max potential is currently unknown. The USCG requested a Resources at Risk for any potential impacts to the coastal zone.

On November 23, 2023, the NOAA SSC was notified by USCG Sector New York that a double-skinned Barge 315 had a tank that overflowed while taking on bunkers at IMTT Bayonne Pier 7. USCG estimates that between 200-400 gallons of No. 6 oil was released into the Kill Van Kull waterway. Release secured. OSRO on-scene. USCG requested trajectory, fate and effect, resources at risk description.

On November 20, 2023, the NOAA SSC for Hawaii was notified that a Navy aircraft had run off the end of a runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii into Kaneohe Bay with 2000 gallons of Jet-A fuel on board. No sheen had been observed at the time of the report. A fate and trajectory analysis was requested.

On 20-NOV-2023, the USCG Sector Puget Sound IMD notified the NOAA NW SSC that the 80’ Tug El Capitan began to release a residual sheen in Deer Harbor, Orcas Island, WA on 18-NOV. In 2020, the vessel had previously sunk and the USCG removed all accessible fuel products. On November 18th, the vessel began to release a residual sheen, IOSA hard boomed the area. On the 19th, Global dove on the vessel and plugged one vent, replaced sorbent boom and pads and no additional sheen has been observed.

On the morning of 17 November 2023, USCG Sector Delaware Bay notified the NOAA SSC that the 65 ft long FV Susan Rose lost power and ran aground on Point Pleasant Beach just south of the entrance to Manasquan Inlet. Vessel has 600 gallons of diesel fuel on board. No reported discharge at this time.

On November 16, 2023, at 9:10 am local, a pipeline leak was reported to the NRC. The report came from Third Coast Midstream Pipeline company. Oil sheen on water was observed around 0900. The leak location is thought to be 19 miles offshore of the Mississippi River Delta. An overflight at 1400 CST reported a slick that was 3-4 miles wide, with dark oil scattered throughout. A NOAA ship working in the area also reported the slick. The USCG requested trajectory information and resources at risk. The Coast Guard, Main Pass Oil Gathering Company, LLC and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office established a Unified Command in response to a crude oil release in the Gulf of Mexico near the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) company's pipeline system close to Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana, Thursday. The Unified Command is coordinating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Forefront Emergency Management, and other federal, state, and local agencies to respond to the incident.

On November 12, 2023, the USCG Sector Columbia River notified the NOAA SSC NW that the Tug Cindy B and Barge St. John collided with a pipeline at the Columbia Pacific Bio Refinery on the Columbia River earlier this morning near Clatskanie, OR. There is potential for approx. 600 bbl, although only residual R99 renewable diesel is reported in the pipeline, there is no spill or sheen observed at this time. The pipeline has been shut down, an OSRO is on-site, the area is boomed and a vac truck is removing oil product.

On November 8, 2023, A TPIC platform in Main Pass Block 35 reported a release of approximately 20bbl crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico from the flare scrubber. The release was secured and OSRO onsite. The USCG requested fate & trajectory.

On November 7, 2023, the M/V American Courage ran soft aground in the St. Clair River in US waters. The 617' bulk carrier has stone cargo and is aground on the bow, away from the fuel and oil tanks. There is no threat of pollution. The vessel is expected to be refloated and towed away by its marine salvor. No support was requested initially by USCG. At a subsequent USCG sector brief, downstream resources at risk were requested and provided.

On October 30, 2023, at approximately 1500 local time, a sheen was reported on the Kuskokwim River by a Bethel Search and Rescue team member. The sheen was traced back to the partially submerged Vitus owned tug vessel Francis Snow which was grounded in Steamboat Slough off of the Kuskokwim River. The vessel sank due to a crack in the hull and has a max fuel capacity of 2,500 gallons, but it is estimated that only 250-300 gallons of diesel were aboard. The incident location is just incident EPA jurisdiction and they are currently the FOSC, however USCG jurisdiction is downstream and they are monitoring the situation. The source has been secured and the vessel was refloated on 31-OCT.

USCG informed that the Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority had a 30000 gallon release of #2 diesel fuel from a tank at their facility at Havensight, St Thomas, USVI on Oct 25, 2023. Cleanup is progressing but there is concern that diesel that has saturated the soil could leach into the waterway. No reports of sheen in the water has been reported however at this time. The responsible party is considering bioremediation application once gross fuel removal has been accomplished. EPA is evaluating bioremediation options to provide information and recommendations. NOAA's Scientific Support Coordinator has provided a resources at risk and preliminary assessment of oil fate and movement should the release migrate into the adjacent waterway.

On October 28, 2023, the USCG Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) reported that F/V Fram, a semi-derelict vessel was sunken and generating sheens and debris into Sitka Sound, AK. The 34-ft wooden vessel was built in 1949. The F/V Fram's maximum capacity is about 250 gallons, but the amount on board is unknown because the owner was unreachable.

At 0700 on 28 October 2023, USCG Sector Virginia notified the NOAA SSC that there was a jet fuel release at the NASSCO Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Norfolk, Virginia. As much as 300 gallons of jP-5 fuel may have been spilled. Sector has not requested any NOAA support at this time.

On 25-OCT-2023 the USCG Sector Puget Sound notified the NOAA SSC of a 30’ tug vessel submerged at the Tulalip Bay Marina, WA. There is approx. 60 gallons diesel on board with a max. potential of 300 gallons. Sheening is observed and the marina has deployed boom. There are two salmon hatcheries in the area. The USCG federalized the case and is working with a contractor remove the vessel.

On October 24, 2023, the USCG MSU Houma notified NOAA SSC of an estimated 5-barrel (210-gallon) crude oil discharge from a flowline into a marsh (NRC#1382574). The cause of the discharge is determined to be from corrosion. The source was secured on the afternoon of 24 Oct. T

On October 24, 2023, the NOAA SSC for Florida was notified by the USCG Sector St Petersburg and USCG D7 regarding high-confidence oil imagery detected by satellite and reported by NOAA NESDIS in SE Gulf of Mexico NW of Key West, FL. USCG expects to overfly the area this morning and requests any updated position reports and trajectory forecast to aid in directing the overflight.

On October 21, 2023, the USCG reported that a well owner by Extex was leaking both crude oil and natural gas condensate into Little Lake, LA. Extex reported an estimated 10-15bbls released. A large area of water has been impacted by sheen. Shoreline impact is anticipated. Release is secured. The USCG has requested assistance from NOAA oceanographers and SSC on-site assistance.