Agencies continue work to address grounded vessel at Dillon Beach
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State and local officials are continuing their response to a 90-foot vessel that grounded north of Dillon Beach in Marin County last week.
The Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marin County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are working as a unified command in the incident involving the American Challenger.
Officials said the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received initial reports at 8:45 a.m. Friday, March 5, that the American Challenger was being towed southward by the Tug Hunter from Puget Sound, Washington, when the Tug Hunter lost propulsion due to a rope entangling the propeller.
The 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Hawksbill crew arrived on scene but due to weather conditions, the proximity to shore and the unknown structural integrity of the unmanned vessel, the crew could not safely board the American Challenger to connect a tow line.
At 1 a.m. Saturday, March 6, the vessel grounded on a rocky shoreline near Dillon Beach where it remains.
The initial response included an investigation to determine the amount of fuel in the vessels, with crews using drones.
On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said marine surveyors boarded the American Challenger to continue their inspection of the vessel’s fuel tanks by using sound tapes and paste to get an accurate reading of the amount of fuel aboard.
Due to the vessel’s instability, the process will take time to ensure the safety of the surveyors, officials said.
An environmental shoreline assessment team continued to conduct surveys in the area. There are reports of minor sheening in the immediate vicinity of the vessel and along the shoreline adjacent to the vessel. Teams are conducting cleanup efforts in that area. No additional sheening was reported during an overflight.
Four thousand feet of boom was deployed to protect sensitive habitats, including oyster beds, in Tomales Bay, as a precautionary measure. Teams have been on site to monitor the boom and the Coast Guard is broadcasting a safety marine information bulletin to inform the public of booming operations in Tomales Bay.
There have been reports of brown foam washing up along the beach, which have been assessed as normal biological material and not oil product.
All beaches remain open. Miller Boat Launch remains 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 and contact the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.
There are no impacts to commercial traffic or scheduled marine events at this time.
The response is currently being funded by the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Federal assumption does not relieve the owner of their financial responsibilities and they may be liable for the cost of any response actions undertaken by the United States Government, officials said.