Oil Spill off Staten Island

As many as 30,786 gallons of heavy fuel oil spilled into the Arthur Kill on Monday during a transfer from a barge to the Chevron plant here, Newsday reported. The spill stretched from the Chevron facility to Smoking Point in Staten Island, and the U.S. Coast Guard and spill response companies had set up boom boats to contain it. The worst case scenario was that 733 42-gallon barrels of oil, equaling 30,786 gallons, got into the waterway. The New York City of Department of Environmental Protection said that a hazardous materials team the agency sent to monitor the Staten Island shoreline had reported that a small amount of oil came aground near the Outerbridge Crossing. The cause of the spill was being investigated by the Coast Guard. The spill happened during a transfer of approximately 1.5 million gallons of oil from a barge to the Chevron facility. Chevron had assumed responsibility for the spill and contracted with two companies to help with the cleanup. The Coast Guard halted vessel traffic from the Outer Bridge Crossing to Fresh Kills, Staten Island. (Source: Newsday)