Hawk Channel; Key Largo, FL

Key Largo, FL | 1991-Jul-26

Initial Notification: On 26 July, T/B Coastal 32 carrying 12000 barrels of #6 oil spilled an unknown amount approximately two miles off Rodriquez Key at approx. position, 25-03.8N, 080-24.3W. Containment boom was deployed around the barge by Coastal and personnel were dispatched to clean-up the oil. Coastal Barge and Towing accepted full responsibility for the incident and made arrangements for the entire clean-up. Overflights were performed both by the Fl. Marine Patrol and the Coast Guard. Initially the slick was reported to be approx. 30 miles long by 100 yds wide, but ground-truthing later during the day revealed that a majority of the reported oil was really some type of brown algae. By the end of the day clean-up operations were complete. A evening overflight by the Fl Marine Patrol was completed with negative sightings of oil. The Coast Guard determined the source of the barge leak to be a broken 2 inch containment drain line. They estimate less than 100 gallons of oil was lost. The Pennecamp State Park biologist surveyed the shoreline form Point Willie south for approx. one mile. She found three small areas where there was minimal impact. No damage is expected from the impacts. USCG district 7.