January 22, 1996
Web posted at: 10:45 a.m. EST
MATUNUCK BEACH, Rhode Island (CNN) -- Three days after running aground off about half a mile from the Rhode Island coastline, a damaged barge continued a slow leak of heating oil Monday as experts worried about its effect on environmentally sensitive waters.
By Sunday night, about half the North Cape's remaining cargo had been unloaded but at least 828,000 gallons of oil had spilled into the Atlantic Ocean, the Coast Guard said. Most of it has probably evaporated, said Dr. Bill Lehr of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Heating oil, which is refined and evaporates quickly, like gasoline, is not considered as serious an environmental threat as spilled crude oil, said Jerry Gualt with NOAA's Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team. However, if any of the oil settles into the sediment, it could have long-term effects.
Thousands of lobsters have been killed by the oil so far; the effect on fish is unknown. And although only a few waterfowl have died, there are an estimated 75,000 birds in the nearby Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge area. Among them are rare harlequin ducks. Authorities said it may be months or years before the spill's full effects are known.
Efforts to recover more oil and contain the spill -- the largest in Rhode Island history -- were continuing Monday. Salvage crews plan to bring another barge alongside the crippled North Cape and resume draining oil from the 340-foot vessel. High waves, however, were making the maneuver difficult. Crews removed about 1.2 million gallons on Sunday.
The Coast Guard also plans to resume skimming oil from the slick that has stretched to Block Island, about 12 miles away. A thin sheen of oil reached the eastern side of the island Sunday, but environmental officials say it wasn't enough to cause major problems. Booms have been placed across the mouth of Great Salt Pond, the island's most ecologically sensitive area. Wind has helped disperse the oil, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
Some mainland beaches near the spill site are covered with dead marine life. Environmentalists still are trying to determine the full ecological impact from the accident, which killed about 11,000 lobsters and at least 25 birds, according to Peyton Fleming, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. The area around the grounding is a winter breeding area for prime flounder, he said.
"We want to get this oil off the barge and make sure there is no further leakage," said Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Almond, who declared an emergency and requested federal disaster relief funds. In a phone call, President Clinton assured him funds would be made available for the cleanup and the state's fishing industry, which is a $500 million-per-year business that employs about 3,500 people.
Shellfishing has been banned along the southern Rhode Island coast, and fishing is forbidden in a 105-square-mile rectangular area from Point Judith west to Charlestown Pond and south to Block Island. Some lobstermen who caught their loads outside the contaminated area still can't bring their haul to shore because it would mean sailing through the oil slick. They can't do that because they need to pump sea water onto to their boats to keep the lobsters alive. The state Health Department says no seafood on the market is considered dangerous, but inspectors are monitoring wholesalers to make sure they don't ship any contaminated goods.
The North Cape began ran aground Friday evening in a storm after the tugboat towing it caught fire and was abandoned by its crew.
Even if the grounded vessel breaks apart, it is unlikely all of the oil would spill into the ocean because the cargo is contained in 15 individual tanks, said NOAA's Gualt. Eklof Marine, the New York City concern that owns the barge and tugboat, said it has taken responsibility for the spill and has hired workers and 10 vessels to help with the cleanup.