After six people were rescued unhurt Thursday, the Coast Guard and partner agencies continued working to contain and recover an estimated 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on the fishing vessel Speranza Marie aground on Santa Cruz Island, Calif.
The 60-foot boat ran aground in Chinese Harbor around 2 a.m. Dec. 15, and the cause of the incident is under investigation, according to the Coast Guard.
A unified command of the Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Santa Barbara County, the Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary and the responsible party, Ocean Angel VI LLC has cleanup crews at work to contain and recover the diesel fuel.
“Diesel fuel is considered a non-persistent oil, compared to a heavier bunker or crude oil product, in even the calmest sea conditions, as it will lose 40 percent of its volume due to evaporation within 48 hours in cold weather,” according to an update from the Coast Guard.
On Friday the response teams worked to stabilize the vessel, hard aground and rolled on its port side. Once completed, the plan is to remove fuel and cargo from the vessel to help salvage efforts and minimize environmental impact, while using booms during the operations to help contain any additional spillage.
Television station KSBY in San Luis Obispo, Calif., reported Monday that recovery efforts are containing to stabilize the vessel and remove fuel before a salvage attempt. National Park Service workers were assessing potential effects on intertidal habitats and wildlife, and the Oiled Wildlife Care Network was on the scene to assist with any affected wildlife.
The boat was carrying a catch of about 16,000 pounds of squid, and cleanup crews worked to remove the squid to reduce other wildlife being attracted to the wreck.
