NC4 INCIDENT MONITORING CENTER FEATURED INCIDENT
San Francisco Bay Oil Spill

November 7, 2007

The Cosco Busan, a South Korean container ship, collided into the San Francisco Bay Bridge on November 7th, 2007 spilling 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the bay. The collision caused a 160-foot long tear into the left side of the ship about ten feet above the water line. Oil was reported to be seen washing up on nearby shores and, consequently, forced the closure of twenty-five beaches in San Francisco and Marin County. The oil spill was the largest in the San Francisco Bay area in over a decade.

Officials believe the accident was a result of communication problems and faulty equipment. Preliminary reports of the accident prompted concerns regarding the structural integrity of the bridge. After conducting a brief assessment, crews found there were no major damages to the bridge. However, there was a significant environmental impact because of the oil spill – thousands of birds native to the area were killed and commercial fishing was indefinitely delayed. After touring the area Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the spill a state of emergency. Despite the negative effect on wildlife, no serious human injuries were reported.

 

Selected Updates

NC4 Incident Monitoring Center issued the following alerts:

• Officials assessing danger to public following 58,000-gallon bay oil spill.
  11/08/07 02:50 PST
  
  
• Governor Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency. Clean up continues.
  11/10/07 14:11 PST
  

• 12,000 gallons of 58,000 gallons of spilled oil cleared from area waters. 11/12/07 08:35 PST
  

• Fishing suspended, beaches remain closed as oil spill cleanup continues. 11/13/07 22:31 PST
  
  

• Twelve Marin & SF County beaches reopened. East Bay beaches remain closed. 11/17/07 14:26 PST
  

• Cleanup efforts will continue for weeks following a fuel spill. Incident closed. 11/19/07 22:27 PST
  

 

Additional Resources
NC4 provides ongoing updates to members as the incident unfolds through the NC4 Incident Monitoring Center (NIMC). NIMC analysts follow the incident using official government sources as well as national and local media sources - linking to the San Francisco Chronicle breaking news article, “Ship crashes into Bay Bridge tower”, including images from the scene, eyewitness accounts, and situational reports.

One-page printable summary with graphics

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