NWS Earle; Leonardo, NJ

Leonardo, NJ | 2000-Sep-14

Initial Notification: At 1630 on 14 September, 2000 the USCG Activities New York received notification of a diesel spill at Naval Weapons Station Earle from the USS Detroit. The supply ship Detroit was approaching the pier in Leonardo, NJ and was struck by a tug attempting to assist the ship to dock. At the time of the accident, the weather was clear, winds from the south at 5 to 10 knots, temperature about 70 degrees F. The USS Detroit proceeded to the pier and moored up. Navy personnel pumped down the remaining fuel from the affected tank, securing the release. Boom was deployed around the vessel and pier. Contractors were called and boom deployed to protect sensitive areas in Sandy Hook Bay. Skimmers were used to collect oil near the piers and vessel. The Navy, under an memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the US Coast Guard (USCG) allowed the USCG to act as the Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) for this response. The incident was over after 4 days. USCG district 1.