News: Buzzards Bay Spill Much Larger than Initially Reported
The Coast Guard was notified by Bouchard Transportation that the amount of oil spilled into Buzzard's Bay on April 27 was approximately 98,000 gallons, not the 14,700 gallons Bouchard had originally reported. "Obviously, the difference is significant, and like everybody else, we want to know why," said Captain Mary Landry, the coast Guard federal on scene coordinator for the spill response. For most oil spills in U.S. waters, the responsible party - in this case, Bouchard Transportation - reports to the Coast Guard how much product they think spilled from their vessel. The initial estimate of oil spilled in this case was determined on the night of the incident within the first few hours of the spill by the tankerman aboard the barge.
Buzzards Bay Spill Much Larger Than Originally Reported
had originally reported. scene coordinator for the spill response. For most oil spills in U.S. waters, the responsible party – in this case, Bouchard Transportation – reports to the Coast Guard how much product they think spilled from their vessel. hours of the spill by the tankerman aboard the barge. contributed to the inaccurate reading. terminal in Sandwich, Mass., later that week. The Coast Guard determines the official amount of oil spilled during its comprehensive investigation of the incident, which is still ongoing. Coast Guard’s first priority is to minimize damage to the environment by focusing its efforts and oversight on clean up operations. approximately 4.1 million gallons, were at risk and acted accordingly.
