Incident News

On July 31, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) notified the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) of a 30-foot vessel sinking in the Spindrift Marina in Isleton, California in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The vessel is currently releasing gasoline, creating a sheen moving downriver. Maximum fuel capacity is reported to be 320 gallons. The USCG is en route. No additional support from NOAA is anticipated.

On July 25, 2026, M/V THORCO LIVA transited to the Port of Port Arthur, Texas with 02 cargo holds contaminated with approximately 200 lbs of improperly applied Aluminum Phosphide as a fumigant. The cargo on this vessel is steel. During offloading operations while in port, the aluminum phosphide reacted with water and resulted in a fire in cargo hold 01. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is requesting from OR&R review of the decontamination processes and cleanup endpoints.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received a report from the Canadian Ice Service regarding an anomaly observed on satellite imagery west of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. The anomaly is an area of 12.52 km² and 33.73 km long. USCG contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) requesting input from the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) as to whether this may be an oil sheen. NESDIS reported that the anomaly is not believed to be an oil spill or otherwise associated with ship-related pollution, as it does not exhibit the characteristics that are used to identify such events. The anomaly appears consistent with a standard vessel wake, rather than an oil discharge.

On July 23, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) notified the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) of a sheen from an unknown source in Silver Bay, Sitka, Alaska. The National Response Center report stated a 100-yard sheen; however, the USCG on-scene found a sheen 1.5 miles long with a strong odor. There was heavy fog in the area, which limited the ability to investigate further. The USCG requested any satellite imagery to help identify the sheen source. Additional support may be requested as they assess the situation.

On July 20, 2026, the Canadian Ice Service (CIS), using a Radar Satellite Constellation, detected an anomaly in the waters of Norton Sound and notified the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). They believe it could possibly be an oil spill in the Sound. The anomaly is “well-contrasted against the ocean backscatter,” and approximately 7 km in length. The USCG requested that the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) contact NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) for their assessment of the observation. NESDIS scientists reported that the anomaly's characteristics indicate natural phenomena, such as organic material or algal blooms. They will continue to monitor the satellite imagery over the area to see if the anomaly dissipates or shifts, and they will update OR&R if their opinion changes.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service technician discovered tarballs on Palisades Beach, Adak Island. Noted were tarballs up to 15 cm across, as well as thinly but regularly spread small oil droplets. The tarballs were slightly more solid than cold molasses, beading to thicknesses up to 1 cm. No oiled or dead birds or wildlife were observed. The area is heavily used by glaucous-winged gulls and common eiders. The U.S. Coast Guard requested assistance from NOAA in finding a source and next steps for the response.

OR&R's Hazmat Duty Officer (HDO) was notified by Washington State Department of Ecology (WAECY) of a 75-foot trawler sinking at the dock in Snohomish River near the intersection of Interstate-5 and Highway 2. The vessel is reported to contain 250 gallons of diesel fuel and other lube oils. WAECY is on scene. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Global Diving & Salvage are en route. No additional NOAA support is requested at this time.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responding to a sheen around the vessel Jaira Provider at a pier in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico since July 9, 2026. Sheen has apparently been emanating from bolts on the vessel. USCG has had putty placed around the bolts and boom deployed, but sheen is still observable. Captain of the Port orders have been issued to the vessel to address the situation. The 200-foot offshore supply vessel reportedly has 220,000 gallons of diesel onboard.

On July 10, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received reports of approximately 1 mile of oiled shoreline in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The source of the oil is unknown. USCG is investigating and has hired an OSRO (oil spill removal organization) to conduct clean up. NOAA is assisting remotely.

On July 9, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Long Island Sound notified the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) about creosote leaking from their dock pilings. An OSRO (oil spill removal organization) is on-scene for cleanup. The SSC forwarded information on to NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division for its awareness.

On July 5, 2026 at 1600, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) about providing assistance for pollution target identification from Super Typhoon Bavi impacts. Virtual support from OR&R's Spatial Data Branch, including use of ERMA® (Environmental Response Management Application) as the common operating picture, was requested.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector New York contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) about a raw sewage release from the Yonkers Wastewater Treatment Plant in Yonkers, New York on the Hudson River starting at approximately 0100 on July 3rd, 2026. The source is yet to be secured; however, they have been successfully manually treating the sewage since about 0200 on July 3rd. The plant typically processes about 145 million gallons of sewage per day. USCG is requesting a trajectory analysis for the raw sewage release (estimated to be approximately 35 million gallons) from about 0100 – 0200 on July 3rd.

On June 27, 2026, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Maryland-National Capital Region contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) about a mystery sheen in the Baltimore inner harbor. The origin of the sheen is unconfirmed, but suspected to be a foreign training vessel as part of Sail250, a global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding. The sheen was initially reported to USCG on June 26 and is estimated to be about 30 gallons. USCG federalized the response on June 26 and deployed 500 feet of containment boom and adsorbents around the suspected source. Small patches of emulsified oil were visible inside the boom containment. Maryland Department of Environment received reports of oiled birds. Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research has responded and recovered one mallard. At this time, oil appears to be contained and spill is not suspected to be active. No products were requested from USCG at this time.

On June 25, 2026, NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division requested a drift analysis for a dead whale, suspected to be a humpback. OR&R oceanographers provide a drift scenario to assist.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Key West contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) on June 25, 2026 to inquire about multiple NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service) reports in an area about 100 miles off Key West in Area/Block Dry Tortugas 493. The USCG believed the source of these anomalies could be from a RULET vessel (Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threats; a joint database developed by NOAA and USCG) north of the reported site. OR&R trajectory assessments do not indicate that the anomalies originated from any known RULET target. Further investigation shows that anomalies in this area have occurred for a long period, dating back to 2018. OR&R is coordinating with the USCG and NESDIS to further evaluate a potential source location for the origin of these anomalies and evaluate further investigative and response actions.

On June 25, 2026, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) about a fire in the FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) unit pump room at the Monroe Energy refinery in Delaware County. The fire resulted in an oil spill. Fire-fighting foam was also used as part of the response. The USCG provided a briefing to the SSC; no products were requested initially.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) Ketchikan contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) regarding a mystery sheen in Tongass Narrows, near Thomas Harbor, Alaska. The sheen is approximately 1 km long, with diesel odors onshore in Ketchikan and across the Narrows on Pennock Island. USCG is requesting support to identify a potential source location and volume of the discharge.

The NOAA Alaska Regional Coordinator contacted the Scientific Support Coordinator regarding a crash of a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) MH-60 helicopter near Sitka Alaska, asking if NOAA was providing any support to the incident. The USCG confirmed that the four crew members received only minor injuries. The crash site is approximately 3 miles from the Sitka Airport in mountainous terrain. The USCG has no requests for support at this time.

On June 11, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received notification of an oil spill in Johnson Bayou, Louisiana. An estimated less than 50 barrels of oil spilled into the marsh and shoreline adjacent to the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. An estimated 120 barrels are in containment berm to be pumped by an oil spill removal organization (OSRO). The USCG and OSRO are onsite conducting cleanup. The NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) is responding remotely. The responsible party is Apollo Energy.

On June 15, 2026, the Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for the Pacific Northwest was notified of a grounded sailing vessel, Caleb Ruffa. The vessel contains diesel and other assorted products on board. The U.S. Coast Guard requested assistance with ESA (Endangered Species Act) consultation.