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T/V Dubai Star

San Francisco, CA        2009-Oct-30

On October 30, 2009, NOAA ERD was notified of a bunkering (fueling) accident in San Francisco Bay from the DUBAI STAR, a Panamanian flagged tank ship. The incident occurred at 7:00 AM local time at San Francisco Bay Anchorage #9. An unknown amount of heavy fuel oil was released and a 1-mile long rainbow sheen was reported in the water. NOAA ERD has been requested to provide scientific support including spill trajectory modeling.

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Note: Documents are posted chronologically and early reports likely contain factual errors. These errors may be corrected in a later report.

Public Advisories and Press Releases

Oil Spill Update: Skimming Operations Complete 2009-Nov-03
USCG Press update 10-31 2009-Oct-31
USCG Press Release 30Oct 1615hrs 2009-Oct-30
USCG Press Release 2009-Oct-30
USCG Press Release 2009-Oct-30

Incident Response Documents

Bunker fuel fact sheet 2009-Oct-30

Incident Details

Spill, potential spill, or other: Oil Spill
Cause of incident: Transfer
Products of concern: Bunker Fuel
Amount spilled (approximate): 422 gallons
Total amount at risk of spill: 400 - 800 gallons

Latitude (approximate): 37° 45.95' North
Longitude (approximate): 122° 20.46' West

Counter measures:
On-Water Recovery: Evaluated and applied
Shoreline Cleanup: Evaluated and applied
Dispersants: Not applicable
In-Situ Burn: Not applicable
Bioremediation: Not applicable

Public Information Contacts and Incident-Related Links

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides science-based solutions to protect and restore the nation’s natural resources from coastal environmental hazards. OR&R serves the nation by providing expertise and a suite of products and services critical for making science-based response decisions that prevent further harm, restore natural resources, and promote effective planning for future incidents.