The United States Coast Guard reported Friday that the Coast Guard Cutter Alder, a 225-foot buoy tender based in San Francisco, accidentally discharged approximately 500 gallons of diesel fuel 30 miles offshore of Fort Bragg.
The incident occurred while the Alder was en route to Humboldt Bay approximately 30 nautical miles northwest of Fort Bragg. According to the California Office of Emergency Services Hazardous Material Spill Update, released yesterday, the spill was attributed to operator error, with the feed pump not being turned off. The spill was active from midnight until 1:24 in the morning on March 15, 2024. The situation is now reportedly secured with no residual sheen reported.
The Hazardous Material Spill Update went on to say that “Based on the 500 gallons of diesel, it would evaporate in about 18 hours in 2 ½ miles. A contingency spill estimate would evaporate in 21 hours in about 3 ½ miles.” The ship’s crew did not deploy booms and “did not have adequate tools or lighting to clean up the spill.” The update concluded with, “Because of the trajectory of the wind and current, they determined that there was zero possibility that the spill would impact the shoreline.”
In a press release, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Andrew Sugimoto, commander of District Eleven, emphasized his agency’s commitment to investigating the incident and minimizing environmental impacts. He stated, “Our priority is to protect the environment and prevent any future incidents.”
We spoke with Monte Merrick, Director at Humboldt Wildlife Care Center/Bird Ally X, who noted he did not know the specifics of the spill but could speak to the potential impact on wildlife. He said that while 500 gallons is relatively small, there could still be some wildlife impacts, particularly for seabirds in the area. However, Merrick, who has experience working on spills affecting wildlife and worksis has worked with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, also mentioned that diesel is volatile and a significant portion would evaporate, potentially minimizing the impact on wildlife. He cautioned that birds could still be affected by the spill, although the likelihood of them reaching shore alive from that distance is minimal.
