Mystery Black Oil Spill, Pacifica; Pacifica, CA

Pacifica, CA | 1987-May-02

Initial Notification: At 1000 on May 2, 1987, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, Alameda, was notified that tarballs were washing up on the sandy beach at Pacifica. The Coast Guard observed a lens of oil and sheen offshore measuring approximately 10 feet wide and extending north up the coast about 3 miles. Samples of the oil were taken, and Coast Guard Vessel Traffic System was asked whether a tanker vessel had been in the vicinity of the oil over the past 24 hours. The oil appeared to be weathered, indicating that it had been in the water at least one day. USCG district 3.