 Tugboat
rams refinery gas pipes
USA -- The Coast Guard says about 1,500 gallons of gasoline and
diesel fuel has spilled into San Francisco Bay after a
tugboat hit a refinery fuel line.
A Coast
Guard spokeswoman says fuel from the line spilled into
the bay after the boat hit what's called a transfer line
around 1:00 this morning.
The line
is used to transfer fuel from Tesoro Petroleum's Golden
Eagle Refinery in Martinez to barges.
Coast
Guard vessels are on the scene assessing the spill. The
Coast Guard also has a boom ready and two skimmers will
be deployed to
try to remove the spill.
None of
the four crewmembers on board the tugboat were hurt.
 The
mishap involving a tug boat and spilled gasoline is not
as bad as first reported, but the Coast Guard says at
least one member of the crew had been drinking. The tug
hit a wharf at the Tesoro Refinery in Martinez, spilling
some gasoline into the Carquinez Strait.
Thankfully, this was not an environmental disaster, but
based on what the Coast Guard is learning regarding the
alcohol that may be involved, it may become a criminal
matter.
The Coast
Guard confirms that the master of the tugboat that
slammed into the wharf of the Tesoro Refinery refused
Coast Guard alcohol testing in the hours after the
accident.
"We're
frankly very disappointed, if that's the case," says
Mike Marcy, a spokesman for Tesoro.
The
Independence, now docked in Benicia, struck the wharf
just after midnight. Initial reports were that 1,500
gallons of gasoline spilled into the bay, but the amount
was later determined to be much less when investigators
found a large pipeline had not ruptured.
"We
discovered the integrity of that line was never at risk,
but that a small one half inch diameter product sampling
line had been pierced and had released five gallons of
gasoline," says Marcy.
The
78-foot tug, owned by AmNav Maritime Services, was on
its way from Pittsburg to Benicia, piloted by Captain
Brian Stanley. It veered 25 to 50 yards off course and
slammed into the brightly lit wharf.
"He's an
experienced mariner, licensed by the Coast Guard and has
been on the bay for a number of years," says Milt
Merritt of AmNav Maritime Services.
According
to the Coast Guard, Stanley consented to a breathalyzer
test given by AmNav, but refused another by the Coast
Guard, which determined AmNav's testing equipment was
outdated.
In the
meantime, cleanup crews spent the morning making sure
there was no gasoline left in the water. It does not
appear any wildlife in the area was harmed by the small
spill.
"I do
know that Fish and Game went out right after the spill
to look for signs of harmed wildlife and didn't see any.
It would appear that it did evaporate and dissolve in
the water pretty quickly," says Baykeeper Deb Self.
As a
precaution, three boats and an 800 foot boom will stay
in the water around the damaged area in the wharf to
contain and contain any gasoline that might be spilled
in the area. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting
that another crew member did test above the legal limit
of alcohol. If alcohol is involved the crew could face
criminal charges.
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