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Peck Slip; Cabo San Juan, Puerto Rico

Cabo San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1978-Dec-19

Initial Notification: On the morning of December 19, 1978, in unusually heavy seas, the T/B Peck Slip struck the bottom near Cabo San Juan off the northeast corner of Puerto Rico. The barge, carrying 80,000 barrels of Bunker C crude oil, suffered structural damage and immediately began to spill oil. The barge was towed back to Yabucoa Harbor. The owner of the barge reported a spill of a few barrels to the Marine Safety Office (MSO) San Juan. Approximately 2 hours after the spill was reported, a Coast Guard helicopter, en route to St. Croix, Virgin Islands, observed dark oil in the water off Cabo San Juan. An investigation determined that an estimated 11,000 barrels spilled from the Peck Slip. The Captain of the Port (COTP) San Juan, Puerto Rico, was designated as On-Scene Coordinator (OSC). Sun Oil Company assumed responsibility for the incident and contracted Muratti Construction Company and Crowley Environmental Services for cleanup operations. The Clean Caribbean Co-op was activated by Sun Oil Company. Cleanup operations were directed by the Sun Oil Company until December 29, when the OSC assumed control. Operations ended on January 19, 1979. USCG district 7. Keyword: Vacuum truck, high pressure washing, Corexit 9527, Gulf Strike Team (GST), National Strike Force (NSF), sorbents..

Incident Details
Products of concern:Bunker C
Total amount at risk of spill: 462,000 gallons
Latitude (approximate): 18° 15.00′ North
Longitude (approximate): 65° 34.00′ West