T/V Panda; Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island | 1994-May-10

Initial Notification: A USCG helicopter, on a routine training flight, reported a sheen extending from the T/V Panda transiting Narragansett Bay. USCG Station Castle Hill dispatched personnel who reported that the sheen contained tar balls. A diver was dispatched and reported that heavy oil appeared to be "bubbling" up from beneath the vessel. The USCG estimated that 800 barrels had been released. Initially it was thought that the spill was a mystery because no point of origin could be found on the Panda; it was later learned that the gas inerting system had failed and caused the release of an unknown quantity of oil. USCG district 1. Keyword: none.