Containership Spills Oil in New York

A containership has reportedly leaked fuel oil into the Arthur Kill waterway near Staten Island, N.Y., the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard said it is working alongside partner agencies to respond to the spill, which occurred while the vessel was moored at the Global Marine New York Container Terminal on Thursday afternoon. The amount of fuel spilled is currently unknown, and the cause of the spill is under investigation, the Coast Guard said.

A Unified Command has been established on scene to coordinate cleanup efforts. Containment boom has been placed around the vessel and there are multiple oil spill response vessels actively skimming.

The vessel has activated its vessel response plan and engaged commercial oil spill removal organizations.

The Captain of the Port has established a safety zone on the Arthur Kill waterway from the Goethals Bridge to Shooters Island.

“The Marine Transportation System in this area is vital to the movement of commercial goods and petroleum cargoes throughout the Port of New York/New Jersey,” said Capt. Jason Tama, Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey. “Our priorities are to mitigate the risk of pollution and re-open the waterway as quickly as possible.”

Coast Guard Sector New York Vessel Traffic Service is monitoring all marine traffic in the area.

An Coast Guard helicopter aircrew conducted an overflight to assess the situation. Members of the New York Police Department Aviation also responded to the incident.