Z-102; Ensenada de Boca Vieja, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ensenada de Boca Vieja, San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1975-Dec-09

Initial Notification: On December 9, 1975, the tank barge Z-102 grounded at the mouth of the Ensenada de Boca Vieja, northwest of the entrance to San Juan Harbor. The unmanned barge was loaded with 10,476 barrels of Bunker C and 2,403 barrels of diesel fuel oil when its tow line broke. Attempts to free the vessel from the surf line failed. Heavy surf pounded the vessel for over a week, eventually damaging all ten of the cargo tanks. An estimated 7,679 barrels of Bunker C and diesel fuel were released during the next 30 days. The barge was eventually lightered and beached. Oil released from the barge affected the beaches within the Ensenada de Boca Vieja. Beaches at Punta Salinas and Levittown were the most heavily oiled. The release of oil and subsequent cleanup operations occurred over a prolonged period, from December 9 to February 5, 1976. Beach restoration in the form of sand replacement continued until April 2, 1976. Agencies involved in the response included the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Gulf Strike Team (GST), U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage (NAVSUPSALV), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Commonwealth Department of Natural Resources (CDNR), Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, and a host of commercial companies. Responsibility for the spill and cleanup was initially accepted by McAllister Towing. On December 15, McAllister announced that it would no longer undertake or fund any further cleanup. The Coast Guard then requested and received funding under the Federal Pollution Control Fund. USCG district 7. Keyword: Gulf Strike Team (GST), U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage (NAVSUPSALV), vacuum truck, manual removal, lightering, weir sump..