Incident News

The NOAA SSC was notified by Sector Seattle Incident Management Division of a capsized vessel in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. All six persons on board were rescued by a good Samaritan boater in the area. The vessel was reported to be 22-foot with an unknown type and quantity of fuel on board. The vessel reportedly began sinking around 2:00 p.m. in anywhere from 50-200 feet of water. USCG is working to arrange an overflight of the area to look for any sign of oil sheen.

USCG MSD Sitka, Alaska contacted the SSC regarding potential hazards of refrigerant oil on a sunken vessel. A fishing vessel sank in November 2024, but only recently started to discharge fuel, resulting in a small sheen. The owner reported diesel fuel and refrigerant oil on board. The salvage divers requested further information on hazards of refrigerant oil.

On the morning of 26 May 2025, a barge carrying roughly 240 thousand gallons of caustic soda (50% solution) flipped in the Mississippi River. The USCG contacted NOAA requesting information on potential effects.

May 23, 2025, 0600 CDT: TPIC tank at Romere Pass facility overflowed into secondary containment. At least 50 bbl escaped containment into the waterway. Spill location was given as: 29º 16’ 31”N–89º 14’ 35”W At 1000 CDT, an overflight indicated the NW leading edge was at: 29°19′45″N–89°13′9″W. USCG requested a Trajectory Analysis.

The USCG Sector Guam Command Center contacted the SSC for the Pacific Islands for assistance in determining whether two flares observed off of Guam with no associated missing vessel or person reports could potentially have been the result of some type of natural weather or atmospheric event. The SSC connected the Sector with NWS experts to evaluate.

20 MAY 2025: A Lobo Operating, Inc. well discharged at least 15bbl of crude oil onto water adjacent to a marsh and tidal flat. The area of impact is approximately 40 x 100 yards. Release was secured at approximately 0800 21 MAY. OSROs onsite conducting cleanup operations. USCG requesting NOAA support to determine appropriate cleanup techniques.

On May 19, 2025, USEPA Region 5 contacted the NOAA District 8 SSC regarding technical support for an asphalt discharge in EPA zone Region 5. SSC is providing remote technical support on oil fate and behavior for spill. For further details, refer to SITREP/POLREPs on ResponseLink.

The National Response Center is reporting a discharge of diesel into Grays Harbor, Washington from the fishing vessel Captain Raleigh. The vessel is reported to be capsized and sinking. Rescue efforts are underway. Fuel capacity is reported to be 7000 gallons of diesel.

The NOAA Hazmat Duty Officer received a call from USCG Sector Los Angeles - Long Beach regarding a 1045-foot container ship which has lost 792 gallons of bunker fuel into its cargo hold. The vessel is currently over 400 nautical miles offshore and USCG is seeking confirmation that the vessel does not pose a threat to the US EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

At 1700 on 26 APR 2025 USCG Sector New Orleans contacted the NOAA SSC regarding a reported well blowout in a marsh area near Garden Island Bay Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area, LA. The discharge rate is currently unknown. The USCG requested NOAA prepare an oil fate and trajectory and resources at risk.

On April 24, 2025, the EPA contacted the SSC to notify NOAA about a 50-gallon diesel spill on Blewett Pass in WA. The spill occurred several months ago (sometime between December 2024 and February 2025). EPA was just made aware of the spill. There does not appear to be an NRC notification associated with this release. The spill entered Tronsen Creek (which feeds into Peshastin Creek and ultimately the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers). WAECY is planning on conducting a site visit next week. SSC notified NMFS. No further support has been requested.

USFWS notified the SSC on 4/22/2024 regarding the M/V Maunalei, en route to the Anchorage and Kodiak, AK. The vessel is leaking Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant (synthetic oil/ester oil) from the hub area around the pitch propeller. The EAL dissipates before reaching the surface. (Estimated to be 1 L per hour). QI reported to ADEC they plan to deploy boom containment around the vessel upon arrival in Anchorage (ETA 4/26/2025) and in Kodiak, AK as a precautionary measure. SSC forwarded the email to USCG Sector Western Alaska and US Arctic. No requests for support.

On April 31, 2025 an Apache Corporation Platform approximately 25 miles southeast of Grand Isle in West Delta released 20-50bbl of crude oil into the Gulf. NOAA provided initial trajectory.

On April 21, 2022, a Florida Marine Transportation Barge 3112 allided with a bridge in Melville, LA at mm30 of the Atchafalaya River along the left descending bank. The barge was carrying a total of 14k bbl (approx 600,000 gallons) of ethanol distributed between 4 tanks. One of the tanks is damaged and discharging ethanol into the river. The USCG requested NOAA support. Ethanol Fact Sheets were provided to USCG.

On April 18, 2025, USCG Sector New York notified the NOAA SSC that as a result of a fire at the Levchak Oil Company, located in North Arlington, NJ, an estimated 20,000 gallons of cooking oil was released into a marsh adjacent to the Hackensack River. SSC provided USCG with information about product spilled, response recommendations and potential environmental impacts.

On April 14, 2025, a NESDIS Marine Pollution Surveillance Report (MPSR) documented sheen adjacent to Texas Petroleum Investment Company (TPIC) Main Pass 81 B South Platform. Southern SeaPlane conducted an overflight at 2pm in this immediate area and reported sheen and provided low resolution photographs to TPIC. On April 15, USCG contacted TPIC after review of the MPSR. TPIC provided 2 of the low resolution photographs and reported that no sheen was present at the platform. USCG and NOAA SSC will continue to monitor reports in this area. **This report is not related to the TPIC Main Pass 81 Wellhead #36 Oil Spill report from last week.**

On April 14, 2025, USCG Sector Jacksonville notified the SSC that a 50 foot, steel hulled fishing vessel broke anchor and came ashore at Flagler Beach south of St Augustine, Florida yesterday. Vessel has 300 gallons of diesel aboard. No damage to the vessel or pollution has been reported at this time. Owner will attempt to refloat the vessel later today during high tide. Case pends.

On April 10, a NESDIS Marine Pollution Surveillance Report (MPSR) identified a potential oil spill east of the delta. On April 11, the U.S. Coast Guard's investigation revealed that a pin hole leak in a 4-inch flow line, leading to a Texas Petroleum Investment Company (TPIC) wellhead in Main Pass block JK North, resulted in an approximately 10-gallon crude oil spill into the Gulf. National Response Center Report #1428336 Source is secured and repairs underway. No recoverable oil identified. USFWS notified.

On April 10, 2025, a NESDIS Marine Pollution Surveillance Report (MPSR) identified a potential oil spill east of the delta. On 11 APR: USCG investigation revealed that a pin hole leak in a 4-inch flow line leading to Texas Petroleum Investment Company (TPIC) Wellhead 36 resulted in an approximately 20-gallon crude oil spill into the Gulf. Source is secured and repairs underway. No recoverable oil identified.

At approximately 0630 on 11APR2025 the F/V EILEEN RITA ran aground near Green Island outside of Boston Harbor. Diesel fuel is leaking from the vessel.