Oil Spill Cleanup Underway in Delaware River

The U.S. Coast Guard is overseeing the cleanup of an estimated 200 gallons of crude oil Friday after a valve on a pipe leaked at the Sunoco Logistics Terminal Facility in Fort Mifflin Thursday.

Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders received notification of the spill at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday after the National Response Center relayed that a pipe broke and an estimated 2,000 gallons of crude oil discharged onto a parking lot at Sunoco Logistics.

Additionally, it was reported approximately 200 gallons spilled into a drain, which leads to the Delaware River. After further investigation, it was estimated 50 gallons of oil went into the water.

Clean Venture, an oil spill response organization, is on scene working to recover the spilled oil from the water and remove the oil from the drain.  Both the source of the spill and the drain are secured.  Boom is deployed in the river to contain the oil during cleanup.

“A pollution response team from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay is on scene to monitor the cleanup operation,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Steven Dukes, a Coast Guard marine science technician. “We are doing our best to ensure a thorough cleanup with minimal environmental impact.”

The Coast Guard  said it will continue to monitor the cleanup efforts.

uscgnews.com