Oil Spill Program
 

M/V Cosco Busan Oil Spill (San Francisco Bay) Information

(Information on this page is considered to be accurate at the time of posting,
but is subject to change as new information becomes available and conditions change.)

On November 7, 2007 the out-bound container ship M/V Cosco Busan collided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge spilling 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. The spill has caused catastrophic oil impacts on coastal and marine resources: oiling hundreds of migratory birds and wildlife, oiling wetlands and other sensitive habitats, closing beaches and marinas, and closing fisheries.

See a map-view of the bay and coastal areas impacted by the spill, and the recovery and resource protection efforts underway.

The outpouring of public concern to help protect their coastal resources has been amazing, with more than 1500 people volunteering and coming out to clean beaches and care for the rescued oiled birds.

• See the briefing on this spill: a presentation by Coastal Commission's Oil Spill Program staff at the Coastal Commission meeting on December 13, 2007.  Go to the commission meeting webcast archive page for that day's meeting, scroll down to item 4a and click on the media icon link at that item to see the archived webcast.
• Handouts at the California Dept. of Fish and Game/OSPR presentation on the Natural Resources Damage Assessment process re the Cosco Busan Oil Spill

For more up-to-date information about the spill, clean-up, and oiled wildlife recovery efforts visit the following sites:

• See the Cosco Busan Unified Command Oil Spill Response Web Site for the latest updates
• California Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) - Cosco Busan Spill Updates
  (The latest fact sheet on the spill is linked from this page.)
• US Coast Guard - Cosco Busan Spill Updates
• NOAA Incident News - Cosco Busan Spill Incident News

Here are important phone numbers regarding this oil spill:

• Report new oil sightings: 415-398-9617
• Report oiled wildlife: 877-823-6926, 415-701-2311 (311 in San Francisco)
• File insurance claims for oiled property: 866-442-9650
• Register for volunteer opportunities to help with beach clean-up at California Volunteers
• Volunteer to Collect and Clean Oiled Wildlife: 800-228-4544

Here are some additional sites with information about the spill and volunteer opportunities:

• Oiled Wildlife Network
• Point Reyes National Seashore
• Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area Cosco Busan Oil Spill
• Baykeeper
• Marine Mammal Center
• International Bird Rescue and Research Center
• 311 San Francisco

What We Do

The California Coastal Commission Oil Spill Program is part of the Energy, Ocean Resources and Water Quality Division of the California Coastal Commission. Our roles in oil spill prevention, preparedness and response in California are diverse and challenging.

The Commission's Oil Spill Program staff plays a critical role in facilitating statewide planning and coordination.

We are committed to assisting federal, state and local agencies, citizens' groups, and the petroleum industry avoid the potentially catastrophic environmental and economic effects of a large-scale oil spill on the California coast, and ensure that when spills do occur, environmental impacts are reduced to the greatest extent possible.

Oil at the Port of San Francisco after the Cape Mohican spill, 1996 which spread outside the Bay and into Coastal Commission jurisdiction.

Oil Spill Program Statutory Authority

Our authority is prescribed primarily in two statutes: California Coastal Act of 1976 and the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1990.

The California Coastal Commission also exercises regulatory authority under the  Federal Coastal Zone Management Act for all of California’s coastal shoreline areas except for the San Francisco Bay.


 

Oil Spill Prevention and Response Planning: What We Do

• Review coastal development projects related to energy and oil infrastructure for compliance with the California Coastal Act and consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act;
   
• Attend all statewide and regional Harbor Safety Committee (HSC), Area Committee and subcommittee meetings (e.g., dispersants, sensitive sites, Area Contingency Plan update, oiled wildlife operations);
   
• Review regulations for oil spill prevention and response, and provide input on these regulations’ consistency with Coastal Act regulations and policies;
   
• Review oil spill contingency plans for marine facilities located in the coastal zone, and oil spill response plans for facilities located on the outer continental shelf;
   
• Participate in the State Interagency Oil Spill Committee (SIOSC), SIOSC Review Subcommittee and Oil Spill Technical Advisory Committee meetings and assignments;
   
• Participate in studies conducted under SB 2040 that will improve oil spill prevention, response and habitat restoration (e.g., offshore vessel traffic studies, Southern California Offshore Lightering Workgroup);
   
• Participate in oil spill drills;
   
• Participate in the development of planning materials for oiled wildlife rehabilitation facilities located in the coastal zone.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oil Spill Response
 

Why Should the Coastal Commission Staff be Involved in Oil Spill Response?

To determine whether clean up activities are considered “development” and therefore require an emergency coastal development permit pursuant to the California Coastal Act;

For emergency permit purposes, determine whether clean up activities could adversely affect coastal resources;

To provide technical, jurisdictional and resource assessment assistance.

How Quickly Can an Oil Spill Response Permit Related Activity be Approved?

American Trader Oil Spill (Huntington Beach, California, 1990)

The Executive Director of the Coastal Commission can issue an emergency permit for clean-up or repair and maintenance activities determined to constitute development as defined in the Coastal Act. Issuing an emergency permit can be accomplished with a verbal approval on scene or by telephone.

Issued to the Responsible Party of the spill, an emergency permit requires compliance with any associated conditions, including the submittal of an application for a follow-up regular coastal development permit within a specific period of time (e.g., 60 days). The Coastal Development Permit will evaluate impacts to the site specifically related to the permitted clean-up or repair and maintenance activity, and not from the oil spill. Completion of the permit process does not interfere with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).

What Type of Oil Spill Response Activities May Require a Permit?

Oil spill response related activities that may require a coastal development permit include but are not limited to:

Grading (to level off terrain to a smooth horizontal or sloping surface) or construction within the coastal zone for temporary storage (i.e., storage tank for oil), access roads or staging areas;

Grading or clearing vegetation in sensitive resource areas;

Berming (to construct a temporary barrier to stop flow of oil or water) a river mouth or a lagoon;

Repair of pipelines and facilities under water or near sensitive habitats;

Construction of retaining walls as oil spill containment barriers.

What are the benefits of a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for an Oil Spill Response Activity?

Protection of resources: Ensures protection of the resources through conditions and limitations set by the permit. In some instances, the CDP may be the only regulatory mechanism to implement other agencies’ resource protection and mitigation plans.

Prevention of future spills: Ensures that damaged facilities are properly repaired to prevent repeated oil spills.

Prevention of costly errors: Prevention of potentially costly mistakes during a spill response by limiting resource damage.

Links to Other Oil Spill Information

Federal

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- Office of Response and Restoration

US Coast Guard 11th District (California)

US Coast Guard-National Response Center

US Environmental Protection Agency- Oil Spill Program

US Minerals Management Service- Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Region (go directly to their maps of active leases, platforms, and boundaries)

US National Response Team

California

California Department of Fish and Game. Office of Spill Prevention and Response

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

California State Lands Commission

California State Lands Commission. Marine Facilities Division

California Department of Conservation- Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources

California Resources Agency- Ocean Report 1997 State Agency Mandates and Responsibilities in the Marine Environment

University of California, Davis-Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN)

Regional

Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force

Regional Response Team- Region 9 (California, Nevada, Arizona)
 

What is the Coastal Commission's Role in the Incident Command System?

The California Coastal Commission is a regulatory agency with permit authority. It is also a resource protection agency with the staff expertise to provide several types of assistance in the event of an oil spill. Listed below are a few examples of how the Coastal Commission staff may provide assistance to local, state and federal agencies and the responsible party in the event of an oil spill.

Incident Command System Roles

The Coastal Commission Oil Spill Program Staff fill key roles in the Incident Command System for oil spills impacting the California coastal and marine resources. We can provide assistance and information to the Unified Command on agency jurisdictions and permitting which will facilitate expeditious cleanup. We can also fill roles in Oiled Wildlife Care, Mapping, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment such as the following:

Command Section

Liaison/Agency Representation

Determine which spill response and clean-up activities require an emergency coastal development permit.

Assist with Coastal Commission jurisdictional determinations.

Command Staff Assistance

CCC Staff are trained in the Incident Command System and can serve as assistants to the Command Staff.

Operations Section

Functional Groups

Field Observer / Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team, Oiled Wildlife Response, Volunteer Coordination.

Planning Section

Situation Unit

CCC Staff has knowledge of coastal and marine resources and can assist in determining the spill response and clean-up options that will avoid or minimize adverse impacts to coastal and marine resources.

Coastal Commission Staff has extensive mapping resources available including coastal aerial photography, coastal county assessor parcel lines, and  topographic maps  and nautical charts. Coastal Commission Staff members are also proficient with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) .

To Report an Oil Spill:

Our Contact Information:

California Coastal Commission
Oil Spill Program
45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105

Daytime Phone/ Voice Mail: 415-904-5285
Fax: 415-904-5400
Pager: 415-201-5792

Email: efaurotdaniels@coastal.ca.gov

All photos courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.