Chinese witnesses fight to return to families
Associated Press Nov 4, 08 2:44 PM CST
(Newser)
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Six crew members from the ship crash that caused San Francisco Bay’s largest oil spill in 20 years remain detained a year later, unable to return to families in China. Though they live rent-free in San Francisco, get $1,200 monthly plus their salaries, and are free to roam, the crew members cannot visit China because the US fears they will flee, the AP reports.
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Strong winds, waves damaged dozens of oil platforms
Associated Press Oct 5, 08 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Hurricane Ike knocked at least a half million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and nearby waterways, according to an AP analysis of environmental reports. Worst hit were oil platforms near the coast of Louisiana, but about half of the spill occurred at a facility on Goat Island, Texas. More than 50 platforms were destroyed in all and 32 others took damage.
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Workers racing river to clean up gigantic slick near New Orleans
Associated Press Jul 25, 08 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser)
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An oil spill stretching nearly 100 miles along the Mississippi is causing river traffic to pile up, AP reports. Dozens of vessels are stuck in New Orleans waiting to head upriver. Others are waiting to carry cargos of grain downriver from the heartland. Officials say it will be days before traffic is moving again, and weeks before the huge spill is cleaned up.
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MIT scientists create mesh that keeps water out, can hold 20 times its weight in crude
Economist Jun 4, 08 7:52 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Cleaning up oil might soon get faster and cheaper, thanks to nanotechnology. Scientists at MIT have crafted a paper-like substance that can absorb up to 20 times its weight, the Economist reports. The mesh of nanowires, each 1/1,000th the diameter of a human hair, feels and looks like paper—and can repel water, making absorption of oil more efficient.
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Attorney vows to battle misdemeanors, calling them premature
San Francisco Chronicle Mar 17, 08 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The pilot of a ship that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil in San Francisco Bay last year was indicted today, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. John Cota faces two federal misdemeanor charges, for releasing a pollutant and killing migratory birds; at least 2,000 birds died in the spill. His attorney called the filing premature because the NTSB is still probing the incident.
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Supreme's justices appear to be split
in Valdez case
USA Today Feb 27, 08 8:52 PM CST
(Newser)
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Nearly 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Prince William Sound, the company asked the Supreme Court to reject a ruling that it pay $2.5 billion in punitive damages. Judges appeared split in today's arguments, USA Today reports, making a tie possible because Samuel Alito has recused himself. If that happens, the punitive damages stand. The court also could reduce the amount.
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Exxon has paid $3.5 billion over years, but claimants want 'closure'
Washington Post Feb 24, 08 3:53 PM CST
(Newser)
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Almost two decades after the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil off the Alaskan coast, legal clashes continue—and will reach the Supreme Court this week, the Washington Post reports. At issue is whether Exxon's $3.5 billion payout is enough or should increase to $5 billion, as demanded by an Alaskan jury 14 years ago. For many claimants, though, it’s too late: 20% have died since that verdict.
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Captain reportedly on two prescription meds for drowsiness, anxiety
San Francisco Chronicle Jan 20, 08 6:46 PM CST
(Newser)
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The ship pilot who hit a San Francisco bridge and unleashed the bay's worst oil spill in nearly 20 years may have been on drugs for a sleep disorder, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Captain John Cota was reportedly taking two kinds of prescription medication to prevent drowsiness and treat anxiety. Feds are now probing whether a Coast Guard licensing plan should have prevented his hiring.
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Government declares state of disaster
New York Times Dec 9, 07 5:00 PM CST
(Newser)
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A crew of 7,000 struggled to contain the worst oil spill in South Korean history today, the New York Times reports. The government declared a state of disaster as volunteers hauled buckets of oil from a 12-mile shore, fighting headaches and nausea from the stench. The coast guard set up floating oil fences, but high waves washed over them. “I think we are finished,” one resident aid.
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Worst spill in country's history threatens scenic coastline, maritime park
BBC Dec 8, 07 5:42 AM CST
(Newser)
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Emergency workers in South Korea are struggling to contain a 12-mile-long oil slick that has reached an ecologically sensitive shoreline on the Korean west coast. The oil spilled when a barge broke loose from the tug that was pulling it, and slammed into a Hong Kong-registered supertanker. The spill threatens a national maritime park and a stopover for migrating birds; four miles of beach have already been affected, BBC reports.
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Spill occurred near ecologically
sensitive coastline
Associated Press Dec 7, 07 11:35 AM CST
(Newser)
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South Korea has sent out a fleet of ships to try to prevent 2.7 million gallons of oil that leaked from a supertanker from reaching an ecologically sensitive shoreline, the AP reports. A crane-carrying barge collided with the tanker 93 miles southwest of Seoul, causing the spill. Authorities are setting up fences to try to contain the nearly 5-mile-long slick, the largest spill in South Korean history.
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Migratory species accounts for one-quarter of dead birds in SF Bay catastrophe
Associated Press Nov 24, 07 5:33 AM CST
(Newser)
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A migratory duck already under environmental pressure has taken the brunt of the damage from the San Francisco Bay fuel spill, the AP reports. Of at least 1,365 dead birds, more than one-quarter are surf scoters, as are 40% of the birds being cleaned. "The oil spill just adds insult to injury and creates greater stress on these birds," says an Audubon Society official.
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Dearth of experienced mariners may spell future disasters
Christian Science Monitor Nov 16, 07 11:12 PM CST
(Newser)
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A blunder that dumped 58,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay last week has drawn attention to a worldwide shortage of experienced mariners—and the resulting potential for future disasters. The number of ships is increasing as global trade booms, reports the Christian Science Monitor , but the current officer shortfall stands at 10,000 and is predicted to triple by 2015.
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Crew drug tests delayed; feds dispute pilot's claim about radar malfunction
San Jose Mercury News Nov 14, 07 5:52 PM CST
(Newser)
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The crew of the ship that dumped 58,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay last week wasn't tested for drugs until 53 hours after the crash—a delay well beyond the federally mandated 32 hours, the San Jose Mercury News reports. And a technician says the ship's radar system appears to have been operational despite the pilot's claims it wasn't working.
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