MARINER’S HARBOR, N.Y. – A broadcast notice to mariners is
in place advising mariners to transit the area here off Staten Island with
caution due to pollution caused by what the Coast Guard is calling a “massive”
fuel spill. The incident took place at Mays Ship Repair at 11:22 p.m. on Friday,
the Coast Guard reports, coming from Boston Marine Transport’s barge Boston No.
30, due to a leak from its cargo tank, which was carrying 112,000 gallons of
fuel oil.
It is still unclear how much fuel escaped, but the Coat
Guard reports 156,000 gallons of oil and water mixture has been recovered as of
this morning.
According to Boston Marine, product was being transferred
from Barge Boston No. 30 to Barge DBL 25, when personnel on scene noticed
product was entering the water between the two barges. Boston Marine Transport
Inc. personnel then applied containment boom around the two barges.
Boston Marine Transport Inc. has contracted an oil spill
clean-up organization that has placed additional containment boom and absorbent
material around the two barges. Further cleanup efforts in affected areas are
also underway. At least 29 skimmers, 12 vacuum trucks, 13 storage barges have
been involved in the clean-up, along with 47,000 feet of boom at Shooter's
Island and Mays Shipyard and deployed along Kill Van Kull Waterway.
The US Coast Guard, Gallagher Marine Systems, New York State
Dept. of Environmental Conservation and New Jersey Dept. of Environmental
Protection have established a Unified Command to effectively run the response
as well as deploying staff and response contractors in the field. On the job
are some 51 personnel in the unified command, plus an additional 301 contracted
personnel.
A temporary phone number for vessel owners to call to report
oiled vessels has been established at 800-733-6175.