Barge cleanup operation continues in California

Sunken Vengeance is said to have leaked diesel fuel and hydraulic oil south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

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Updated on 10 Apr 2017 10:45 GMT

A unified command comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, Vortex Marine Construction and Bay Area Rapid Transit has been established in response to the sunken 112-foot freight barge Vengeance leaking diesel fuel and hydraulic oil south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. State and federal responders and investigators have been on site executing cleanup strategies for a maximum potential release of 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 300 gallons of hydraulic fluid. Divers from Global Diving and Salvage conducted an initial underwater assessment and plugged the leaking fuel vent on Friday afternoon. A Coast Guard helicopter crew performed an overflight and divers carried out an underwater assessment on Saturday morning. National Response Corporation Emergency Services personnel have been contracted to deploy 3,000 feet of hard boom. "While no impact to the shoreline has been detected, the responding agencies continue to prioritize and prepare for potential impacts to environmentally sensitive sites," the US Coast Guard said. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) has been opened for $50,000 for pollution mitigation. Image: The 112-foot freight barge Vengeance after capsizing near Yerba Buena Island, California, on 7th April 2017.