San Pablo Bay Sheens Remain Mystery

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA — Officials are still investigating the source of what they called "petroleum product" sheens that were found on San Pablo Bay and near the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo Wednesday.

The United States Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Phillips 66 and the Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Department formed a unified command to investigate the spill.

The command gave an update this afternoon at the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo.

There was no sheen visible from the air this afternoon nor has there been any oiled wildlife between the Benicia and Carquinez bridges, Amy Norris of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

"Conditions were ideal for dissipation or evaporation," Norris said. She described the sheens as being a "petroleum product."

"Closing the fisheries is not warranted. It's safe to fish," Norris said.

Phillips 66 continues to test dock pipelines and inspect the ship that was docked at the Rodeo refinery, Norris said.

The Coast Guard was informed of the smell of oil and a sheen on the water near Rodeo and Vallejo around 8 p.m. Tuesday night, and the odor is suspected of sickening many Vallejo residents.

A shelter-in-place was issued but was lifted Wednesday morning, and the sheens interrupted ferry service between Vallejo and San Francisco.

A Coast Guard helicopter discovered a sheen 40 yards wide and one mile long in north San Pablo Bay Wednesday morning, and a second sheen was found later near the Phillips 66 refinery.

Several vessels and skimmers responded and placed 1,000 feet of boom on the water surrounding the refinery.

Federal and state agencies are still investigating potential sheen sources including refineries, facilities and vessels, the Coast Guard said this afternoon.

— By Bay City News Service

Image: The map above shows the Coast Guard's flight pattern from Thursday morning's over flight, where no sheen was observed. (Image via USGCnews.com)