Ship Accident Prompts Oil Spill In SF Bay

November 8, 2007 7:16 a.m. EST

San Francisco (AHN) - A ship carrying fuel hit one of the towers of the Bay Bridge on Wednesday as it traveled through the fog. Coast Guard officials said the bridge was structurally safe and vehicular traffic was not affected, but several beaches were closed because of an oil spill.

The 810-foot-long vessel Cosco Busan crashed into a tower in the western part of the bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel into the bay, causing authorities to close Crissy Field, China Beach, Baker Beach, Kirby Cove and Fort Point.

The Coast Guard said at least 8,000 gallons of oil had been contained. A hot line was quickly set up to help keep track of affected wildlife.

Capt. William Uberti, the chief federal officer in charge of the investigation, says "it shouldn't have happened." Investigators are still trying to determine how the 65,131-ton ship, the Cosco Busan, crashed despite being equipped with radar and having one of the bay's most experienced pilots.

Authorities said such incidents were rare, and the last incident occurred when the Benicia-Martinez bridge was hit by a vessel ten years ago. The ships that pass under the Bay Bridge every year all have radar, a bar pilot and an experience mariner.

The Cosco Busan, which remains at anchor indefinitely while the crew is being tested for drugs and alcohol, is owned by Hanjin Shipping. It was built in South Korea in 2001 and can reach speeds of up to 25.9 knots.

The Bay Bridge consists of two bridges connecting the cities of San Franciso and Oakland. Its eastern span partially collapsed in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake.