Another legal slap, this one serious, has been handed down to the Cosco Busan pilot who was in charge of navigating the container ship that struck the Bay Bridge and spilled 54,000 gallons of oil. Today a federal grand jury added two felony counts of lying to the Coast Guard to an earlier indictment. The … Read more
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing looking into the Cosco Busan oil spill, shed more light on the personal problems of the pilot captain that may have contributed to the disaster on San Francisco Bay. The NTSB revealed that Capt. John Cota is an alcoholic who also was using prescription drugs during work hours … Read more
The hue and cry over the Cosco Busan oil spill response in San Francisco Bay is finally making itself heard in the California legislature. A least seven new bills have been introduced to force improvements on everything from the state’s oil spill response to volunteer training. The spill dumped almost 54,000 gallons of bunker crude … Read more
After studying the aftermath of the Cosco Busan’s collision with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the U.S. Coast Guard issued new restrictions Thursday for ships traveling on the bay during dense fog. The Coast Guard will now limit vessels from sailing on the bay when foggy conditions limit visibility by less than half a mile. … Read more
This is a timeline of the Cosco Busan spill. It shows how fast things happen after an oil spill – and why acting quickly is important. The Nov. 7, 2007 spill put 53,569 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. Here are the first 90 minutes: 8:30 a.m.: Harbor pilot Capt. John Cota, guiding … Read more
A high number of inspected cargo ships entering California ports are failing routine emergency oil spill drills, according to state inspectors. In public records obtained by The Sacramento Bee newspaper, 21 of 164 vessel given spot inspections by state officials over the past three years were lacking the ability to make phone notifications within the … Read more
John Cota, the pilot entrusted with navigating the container ship that struck the San Francisco Bay Bridge, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of criminal negligence and violating environmental laws. The 901-foot Cosco Busan ship side-swipped the bridge in November 2007 and spilled more than 50,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the bay. The corresponding … Read more
The pilot boat captain responsible for helping navigate the container ship Cosco Busan that struck the San Francisco Bay Bridge and spilling thousands of gallons of oil that ultimately killed 2,500 birds, has been charged in federal court. On Monday, Capt. John J. Cota of Petaluma was charged with two environmental laws, including violating the … Read more
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a two-day public hearing Cosco Busan oil spill that dumped around 55,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay after striking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The hearing will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 8 at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, … Read more
Scientists from Bodega Marine Lab are planting herring eggs this week in parts of San Francisco Bay to monitor the affects on fish from the November 2007 bunker fuel spill. The eggs are being placed in areas hard hit by the spill: Richardson Bay, Horseshoe Cove near Fort Baker and the north side of Angel … Read more