Howard Star; Tampa Bay, Florida

Tampa Bay, Florida | 1978-Oct-05

Initial Notification: Sometime between October 4 and 5, 1978, the dry bulk carrier Howard Star discharged approximately 952 barrels of bunker C and light diesel into the Port Sutton Channel. The incident most likely occurred while the vessel was deballasting at the International Mineral and Chemical Corporation (IMC) Phosphate Terminal in Tampa, Florida. The oil spread to East Bay, Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay and impacted 15 widely separated shorelines over a distance of approximately 20 miles. Personnel aboard the Howard Star failed to notify authorities of the discharge. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO) Tampa was first notified by IMC on October 4 at 2025 that approximately 15 gallons of oil was in the water at the IMC terminal. The Coast Guard discovered large quantities of floating oil streaming into Hillsborough Bay from the Port Sutton Canal. The Environmental Coastal Pollution Cleanup Service (ECPCS) was notified of the spill and began mobilizing all available boom and cleanup equipment on October 5. An additional cleanup contractor, Need-A-Diver, was contracted by the Coast Guard. The Regional Response Team (RRT) was activated at 1115 on October 5, and the USCG Gulf Strike Team was requested. Because the entire transit system was affected, the port was closed to help contain the oil. The MSO and cleanup contractors deployed four sections of boom to prevent the oil from spreading further into the surrounding bays. By October 9, approximately 643 barrels of oil had been recovered by the contractors and the Coast Guard. Since the populations of migratory waterfowl are low in October, there were only 14 known bird fatalities. Several dead crabs were found along Whiskey Key and E.G. Simmons Park, but the population appeared to recover within 60 days of the incident. Several mangrove trees died as a result of the oiling. USCG district 7. Keyword: Boom, vacuum truck, manual removal, sorbents, skimmer, low-pressure washing, disposal, fingerprinting, Gulf Strike Team (GST), Regional Response Team..