- Oil Discharge Contained Between Piers 2 and 3 in Puerto Rico Port.
- Clean-Up Underway as Coast Guard Links Spill to Past Incidents.
- Coast Guard Confirms San Juan Spill Matches 2024 and 2021 Oil Events.
The Incident Management team of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan is currently handling the investigation and response to an oil discharge from an old pipe structure located between piers 2 and 3 in San Juan Harbour. The full response was launched on Monday after oil was sighted in the waterway, reports USCG.
Cleaning and Containment Being Performed in Coordination
The Coast Guard continues working with contracted oil spill removal organisations and local authorities to diminish the pollution threat and reclaim any oil product that can be salvaged. “The source of the oil discharge is being contained and, while contained, will allow normal port operations to continue at Piers 2 and 3 as our investigation and response efforts continue,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ray Lopez, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Incident Management Division chief.
“We are actively pursuing coordination and planning efforts with the San Juan Municipality, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, the Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and the Cultural Department, among other entities, to resolve this situation in the interest of protecting public health and the environment.”
A pipe leak was found in the patrol
On 11 April, the Coast Guard watchstanders received a pollution report from the National Response Centre after an inspection was conducted by Station San Juan and Incident Management Division. The inspection was part of Operation Resilient Coast, during which the team became aware that the legacy pipe was slowly leaking heavy black oil into the water.
Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Activated
Concerned about possible impacts on the waterways, the Coast Guard activated the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted Clean Harbour Environmental Services Inc. as the Oil Spill Removal Organisation. On 15 April, armies from Clean Harbour managed to put a temporary seal on the pipe and further set absorbent booms to catch any discharge.
Continuous Monitoring and Maintenance of Containment
Monitoring of the containment area and servicing thereof are carried out by the Coast Guard Incident Management personnel alongside Clean Harbour personnel, who replace absorbents and reposition booms as they deem necessary.
Cleanup Could Be Linked to Past Incidents
By 5 May, laboratory results from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Lab showed that the oil samples collected shared characteristics with those from spills at Pier 9 in 2024 and Pier 4 in 2021, thus suggesting that the petroleum discharge may indeed come from a single source.
Upcoming Plans for Cleanup and Assessment
The next steps will be to perform a sub-surface site assessment to pinpoint the actual spill source and propose response alternatives for potentially recovering any remaining oil and for preventing fut
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Source: USCG
