Settlement to Clear Way for Restoration Projects in Tampa Bay

The state of Florida, the federal government and several corporations have agreed to a more than $8 million settlement to fund restoration projects for natural resources damaged in a 1993 oil spill in Tampa Bay. An 11-acre degraded mangrove system will be improved, two acres of salt marsh will be replanted, and millions of dollars for other natural resource restoration work will be paid by those responsible for the oil spill, the U.S. Commerce Department's NOAA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Department of Justice said. State and federal officials worked closely with those responsible for the spill to forge a settlement under which the Bouchard Transportation Company Inc., Maritrans General Partner Inc., and Tsacaba Shipping Co. Inc. will carry out the mangrove and salt marsh restoration projects. In addition, the responsible parties will pay $3.1 million for natural resource restoration plus another $4.9 million for resolution of all other government claims. They have also agreed to forego a claim against the state of Florida for cleanup costs over the limitation amount, alleged to exceed $40 million. The oil spill occurred Aug. 10, 1993, when an outbound freighter, M/V Balsa 37, struck two inbound barges, T/B Ocean 255 and T/B B155, at the mouth of Tampa Bay. The collision resulted in the discharge of approximately 330,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil and 32,000 gallons of a mixture of other fuels into lower Tampa Bay. The spilled oil remained offshore for four days before oiling about 13 miles of beaches in Pinellas County. It injured birds, sea turtles, mangrove habitats and other natural resources in Boca Ciega and lower Tampa Bay, and disrupted the use of area beaches and waterways.