Coast Guard suspends investigation for oil spill at SeaPort Manatee
UCSG photos.
U.S. Coast Guard Southeast
St Petersburg, Florida - On Sept. 26, 2023, the Coast Guard federal on-scene coordinator suspended the investigation into the source and responsible party for the oil spill at SeaPort Manatee in Palmetto, Florida, pending new information.
About 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2023, the National Response Center / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contacted Coast Guard watchstanders of a crude oil spill at SeaPort Manatee. The initial press release stated that responders were containing the spill with about 1400 feet of boom, that the source of the oil spill was unknown and an investigation was underway to determine the cause.
Since Sept. 1, Coast Guard investigators conducted an extensive search for the source of the spill, which included a thorough physical examination of potential facilities and ships for evidence of any improper discharge of material, a forensic analysis of oil samples from approximately 30 sources, including the spill itself, and a sub-surface 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.
By Sept. 12, the spill was 99% cleaned, with all remaining oil residue cleaned by Sept. 21.
Coast Guard environmental response specialists leveraged The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) (uscg.mil), to clean up the spill. Approximately, $1.17 million from the OSLTF was spent for clean-up and investigation efforts. Approximately, 20,500 gallons of oil/water mixture and 6.4 tons of oily debris was removed from the impacted area.
“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,” said Capt. Michael Kahle, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg commander. “Our investigators worked tirelessly in search of the spill source and the responsible party. If anyone has information regarding this spill, please report it to the Sector St. Petersburg command center at 866-881-1392. 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.”