Divers Plug Oil Leak on Sunken Barge In San Francisco Bay

BAY AREA, CA — A 112-foot freight barge, the Vengeance, capsized and sank in San Francisco Bay Friday morning. It was leaking diesel fuel and hydraulic oil south of the Bay Bridge. A light sheen from the oil was visible on the surface of the water.

The Coast Guard and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response sped to the scene. National Response Corporation Emergency Services personnel were contracted to deploy 3,000 feet of hard boom to encircle the oil spill.

"Divers from Global Diving and Salvage conducted an initial underwater assessment and plugged the leaking fuel vent Friday afternoon," a written statement from the Coast Guard reports. The boom was then removed.

Another assessment will be conducted Saturday morning. Responders will be on scene prepared to deploy boom again.

The Coast Guard is enforcing a safety zone in the area to ensure the safety of responders.

So far, no shoreline or wildlife impact has been reported.

No visibly oiled wildlife has been reported, but crews are watching for them. Anyone seeing oiled wildlife should not attempt to capture them but should report the sightings to 1-877-UCD-OWCN.

The barge was used by crews doing maintenance work on BART's transbay tube. While some have expressed concern that the sunken barge could damage the tube, especially in stormy weather, a BART spokeswoman pointed out that the tube is buried beneath 25 feet of sand.

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund has been opened for $50,000 for pollution mitigation.

Photos via US Coast Guard

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