T/V Command; San Francisco Bay, California

San Francisco Bay, California | 1998-Sep-24

Initial Notification: On September 28, 1998, a USCG overflight identified an oil slick approximately 10 nm offshore San Francisco Bay northwest of Point San Pedro. The mystery slick (later identified as the result of a faulty fuel transfer aboard the T/V Command) contained streamers of black oil, mousse, and sheens. On September 29 NOAA sent a team on-scene. By October 2 very little recoverable oil or tarballs were seen during the overflight and the FOSC released the NOAA team. Tarballs had impacted Pillar Point, Pomponio Beach, Air Force Beach, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and San Gregorio Beach and cleanup crews had been dispatched to continue the cleanup. Impacts to Wildlife: Impacts to wildlife, especially birds were reported by the International Bird Rescue and Research Center. They reported that Common Murres (52 live/ 36 dead), Glaucous-winged Western Gull Hybrid (1/0), Greater White-fronted Goose (1/0), Shearwater (2/2), Western Gull (4/2) and dead were Common Loon (1), Sooty Shearwater (1), Western Grebe (1), Brown Pelican (2), Brandt's Cormorant (1), Cormorant (1), Eared Grebe (2), California Gull (1) had been recovered. USCG district 11. Keyword: none.