Harbour oil spill prompts investigation

New Bedford Harbour, Massachusetts US has been affected by two oil spills within hours of each other. The spills occurred on either side of the harbour on Thursday (August 29th). It is not yet known what caused the oil in water, but they were spotted early in the morning due to the red sheen they created on the water.

According to the local officials, approximately 200 gallons of marine diesel was spilled into the harbour from an unknown source, spreading from the North Terminal past Route six to the south of the harbour. Currently it is estimated that there are around 100 possible sources of the oil spill, however, no one has come forward.

The Coast Guard are investigating possible sources, while working to contain the spill. New Bedford Harbour is one of the leading fishing ports in the US and could be affected if the red sheen of spilled diesel spreads further. Clean-up work has included the deployment of thousands of absorbent pads, designed to soak up the fuel. The diesel has gathered in a number of pockets throughout the area and it is possible that up to 300 gallons has been involved in the incident.

Due to the fact that the busy port often experiences minor spills, it is managing to operate as usual while the clean-up attempts are being made and the investigation into the source of the oil spill is ongoing.

According to Ed Coletta, spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection (EPA), the fuel will be analysed as part of the ongoing investigation. It is hoped that this analysis will help to pinpoint the source of the leak and therefore identify the responsible party. The clean-up operation is likely to last for a number of days.

The spill is nowhere near as large or damaging as the one that occurred in 2003, when around 98,000 gallons of oil leaked into Buzzards Bay. The oil was being transported by barge to a local power plant when it leaked.