PALMETTO – Following testing of multiple potential sources, and with no responsible party identified, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its investigation on Sept. 26 into the source of an oil spill at SeaPort Manatee, pending any new information.
The spill was reported by SeaPort Manatee on Sept. 1, launching the Coast Guard’s examination of facilities and ships for evidence of an improper oil discharge.
“A forensic analysis of oil samples from approximately 30 sources, including the spill itself, and subsurface dive assessment of the port seawalls and basin for any irregularities was conducted. Despite an exhaustive effort, a definitive source for the spilled material was not identified,” according to a press release from U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg.
By Sept. 12, the spill was 99% cleaned, with the remaining oil residue cleaned by Sept. 21. Approximately 20,500 gallons of oil/water mixture and 6.4 tons of oily debris were removed from the site.
“I am pleased that we were able to quickly isolate the spilled material within the port to mitigate impacts to the environment while enabling a focused response and rapid clean-up,” U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Commander Capt. Michael Kahle said. “Our investigators worked tirelessly in search of the spill source and the responsible party.”
Coast Guard environmental response specialists leveraged the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to clean up the spill.
“The emergency fund of the OSLTF is used for federal on-scene coordinators to respond to discharges and for federal trustees to initiate natural resource damage assessments,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard website. “The emergency fund is a recurring $50 million available to the president annually.”
Approximately $1.17 million from the fund was spent for cleanup and investigation efforts.
“As part of SeaPort Manatee’s ongoing port inspection efforts, port team members were among the first to notice a visible discoloration within the basin, and immediately notified the National Response Center,” according to a press release sent by SeaPort Manatee Director of Communications and Public Relations Virginia Zimmerman. “The U.S. Coast Guard’s prompt response in deploying boom and initiating its cleanup process has resulted in the complete removal of the material at the port. An endangered species analysis of the area conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that no fish or wildlife had been affected.”
“On behalf of the Manatee County Port Authority, I wish to express my appreciation to the U.S. Coast Guard for its tireless efforts in cleaning up and investigating the recent event at the port,” Port Authority Chairman James Satcher said. “While it is disappointing that the investigation could not pinpoint the origin of the material, we are reassured in our proactive response efforts and pleased to learn that it was not identified as coming from a SeaPort Manatee-related source.”
“If anyone has information regarding this spill, please report it to the Sector St. Petersburg command center at 866-881-1392,” Kahle said. “We ask anyone who sees oil or hazardous materials pollution that may impact the water to immediately report it to the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.”
