COSCO Busan Oil Spill
On November 7 2007, there was an oil spill accident due to a collision of a tanker carrying oil colliding with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Due to the thick fog during the moment and an impairment with the restriction of certain medication of the pilot John Cota, the MV COSCO Busan Tanker collided carrying oil crashed the Delta tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opening a gap on the side of the tanker causing to spill 58,000 gallons of oil. The oil was able to spread from Half Moon Bay to Point Reyes. Approximately about 6,849 birds of 65 different species and about 15% to 30% of estimated newborn fish were lost due to the egg destruction of the oil. About 1,079,9000 days worth of using the oil was lost and 3,367 acres of shoreline was polluted. More than 50 public beaches were closed due to polluted waters and shores. The pilot John Cota was later sentenced for 10 months of the incident and a total of $44.4 million dollars went to resource damages, state penalties, and unpaid government response and assessment costs.
Cape Mohican Oil Spill
On October 28, 1996, another oil spill in the area of San Francisco occurred once again. IN the coastline of San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin Counties, and Alameda there was an estimated amount of 96,000 gallons that were accidentally dropped on to a dock during a routine maintenance when an opened vessel released oil. The primary objective was to originally release the oil into a stabilization tank but instead those gallons were dropped on the dock. Out of the 96,000 gallons, 40,000 gallons were spilled into the San Francisco Bay. About 593 birds were killed due to the oil, beaches and shorelines were polluted, and destroyed fisheries. An estimated $3.25 million dollars were spent to repair all the damages and loss due to the oil spill.
American Trader Oil Spill
On February 7, 1990, just far south from San Francisco, there was an oil spill on Huntington Beach Orange County. The cause of the oil spill was a collision between the American Trader and its own anchor. The collision tore open the tankers’ hull carrying the oil spilling about 416,598 gallons into the sea. The beaches and shorelines around Huntington Beach were polluted and closed, about 3,400 birds were killed, and many fish were killed and tainted. There was a case regarding the recreational impacts and biological impacts of the spill. The recreational impact required $11.6 million dollars for repair while the biological impact required $360,000 for water monitoring projects.
Standard Arizona & Standard Oregon Collision
On January 19, 1971, again in San Francisco, there was a major oil spill incident. Under the Golden Gate Bridge and in heavy fog conditions, the tankers Standard Arizona and Standard Oregon collided. Together, they spilled about 800,000 gallons of oil in the San Francisco Bay. It became the largest spill in Bay area history. It obviously killed many animals, fatally threatening sensitive natural habitats around the bay. About $1 million dollars were spent for repairs while many people volunteered to clean up beaches and rescue polluted animals.