PR Diesel Spill; Catano, Puerto Rico

Catano, Puerto Rico | 1998-Feb-23

Initial Notification: AN UNDERGROUND PIPELINE AT THE GULF FACILITY IN CATANO, PR IS SPILLING OIL INTO A CREEK THAT EMPTIES INTO SAN JUAN HARBOR. THE LEAK IN THE PIPELINE WAS DETECTED BY FACILITY PERSONNEL AFTER THE T/S DION HAD COMPLETED TRANSFERRING DIESEL TO FACILITY. FACILITY PERSONNEL ESTIMATE THAT APPROX 2000 BBLS OF PRODUCT IS UNACCOUNTED FOR. OIL IS BUBBLING UP THROUGH THE SOIL IN A CREEKBED AND FLOWING INTO THE HARBOR. BOOM IS DEPLOYED ACROSS THE MOUTH OF THE CREEK AND IS CONTAINING THE MAJORITY OF THE SPILLED OIL. A SECOND LINE OF BOOM IS DEPLOYED AROUND THE TANKSHIP AND THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF SAN JUAN HARBOR. APPROXIMATELY 300 BBLS HAS ESCAPED THE PRIMARY CONTAINMENT AND IS WITHIN THE SECONDARY CONTAINMENT. VAC TRUCKS ARE RECOVERING OIL FROM THE CREEK. THE FACILITY HIRED CROWLEY ENVIRONMENTAL AND INDUCHEM TO CLEAN-UP SPILL AND ISOLATE LEAK. USCG district 7.