Coastal Marin Crews Monitor Grounded Boat For Possible Fuel Spill

MARIN COUNTY, CA –Cleanup crews have set up a containment boom near a grounded boat after finding a small amount of motor oil in coastal Marin County.

The 90-foot boat, the American Challenger, was being towed Friday from Puget Sound, Washington, when a rope became entangled in the propellor of the tugboat.

The drifting boat grounded on rocky shoreline north of Dillon Beach at 1 a.m. Saturday.
An investigation is underway by a unified command of local, state and federal officials to determine how much fuel has leaked from the boat.

The Marin County Office of Emergency Services is among five agencies involved in the response.
The Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and

Response, and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are the others.
Salvage crews used drones and helicopters to assess the extent of the spill and to assess the condition and develop a plan to access the vessel.

“An investigation is underway to determine the amount of fuel aboard the American Challenger,” officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Monday.

Officials said there is no extensive sheen coming from the vessel, but that an environmental assessment found some oil contamination on the beach near the boat.

As a precaution, crews set up 4,000 feet of boom around the boat to protect sensitive habitat in the area, including oyster beds.

“Overflights have observed a small amount of motor oil in vicinity of the vessel but there is no extensive sheen coming from the vessel. Teams will conduct cleanup operations if recoverable,” officials said.

A 100-foot gap in the boom exists for recreational boaters for access at the deepest point of the channel south and east of Hog Island.

If there is a threat to the oyster bed, officials said the gap will be closed.
All area beaches remain open however Miller Boat Launch is temporarily closed to support response operations.

There have been no confirmed reports of oiled wildlife.

If oiled wildlife is seen, the public is asked not to approach the animal and instead call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.

— Bay City News and Patch staffer Gideon Rubin contributed to this report