For every dark cloud there’s always a silver lining and the horrible Cosco Busan oil spill was no different. Hundreds of dedicated volunteers showed up from all over California and from the far reaches of the United States to care for oiled birds. They helped transport birds, washed laundry and cleaned cages. Without their incredible … Read more
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
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
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
Nearly 14 years after Exxon was ordered to pay $5 billion dollars because of the damages done to people and their livelyhood during the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the nation’s top court is scheduled to hear the final appeal this week. The U.S. Supreme Court will listen to arguments this coming Wednesday from the 1994 … 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
More than 80 oiled birds, mainly Western Grebes and Clark’s Grebe, have been collected over the past two weeks along the Southern California coastline after a mysterious oil spill hit the Pt. Magu area about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. 12 birds have already been cleaned of oil and been released. The oiled birds … Read more