Lessons from the Cosco Busan Oil Spill

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Mark Leno
Member, California State Assembly

In the weeks since 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel from the Cosco Busan spilled into San Francisco Bay, each of us has been reminded of the Bay's central importance to our region's wildlife, economy, fishing fleet, tourism industry, and human health, and its place in the hearts of the people of Northern California.

Like so many, I was rocked by the devastating news and joined the relief efforts on the ground by combing beaches for signs of the spill. The outpouring of emotion and support I witnessed on the beaches and in community meetings since the disaster emboldens me as we investigate the facts surrounding the spill, and more importantly, work to prevent such a disaster in the future.

In the hours following the spill, I participated in a number of briefings given by the Unified Command and others responsible for the clean-up efforts. It was clear from the outset that important questions needed to be answered and that ultimately, we must do a better job to protect our coastlines and marine wildlife. Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and I called an emergency oversight hearing of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee to review the causes of the accident and the response efforts.

The hearing brought Bay Area Assemblymembers together with officials and agencies who could speak to the current conditions and the environmental damage, as well as the immediate steps necessary for a proper clean-up and protection of coastal and marine resources and wildlife. I would like to summarize a few of the most important points that came to light in the hearing.

1. The state Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) requirements for containment and clean up response by the shipping industry are inadequate. For example, the minimum amount of containment boom required for deployment in the first hour after a spill for a vessel the size of the Costco Busan is 600 feet. However, the Busan is a 900 ft vessel and considerably more boom was needed to surround the ship and the miles of fouled waters along the path of the ship.

2. OSPR reported they had a plan to deal with a wide variety of local contingencies including our bay winds and tides, but not for fog which is so prevalent in San Francisco Bay. Fog has been the excuse used by the Coast Guard and others for not knowing that the spill was much larger than the 10 barrels originally reported.