U.S. Coast Guard monitoring diesel oil spill and cleanup efforts at Silver Bay Marina

The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring a diesel oil spill incident on Lake Superior at the Silver Bay Marina.

On Wednesday, May 29, at approximately 6 a.m., the Pusher Tug Clyde S. Vanenkevort activated its vessel response plan, notifying the U.S. Coast Guard and the Oil Spill Recovery Organization (OSRO) that an oil spill had occurred in Lake Superior.

The U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer, Lt. Joe McGinnis, told WTIP that the vessel was moored at the pier when the oil spill occurred. After notifying officials, the vessel strategically dispatched a boom around it to contain as much diesel as possible, McGinnis said.

“The Coast Guard’s role has just been monitoring the situation, making sure that the oil spill recovery organization is just going through cleaning up the area and then working with the vessel to ensure that the cleanups happening appropriately,” McGinnis.

The approximate size of the oil spill as of Thursday, May 30, is 373 gallons. The cause of the oil spill is still being investigated, but believed to be caused by a “transfer between two internal tanks inside of the vessel,” McGinnis said.

The OSRO continued work on Thursday near the marina and outskirts of the harbor. “We have a few folks up there just monitoring the situation,” McGinnis said. Furthermore, the U.S. Coast Guard is in communication with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) about the incident.

As of Thursday afternoon, McGinnis told WTIP the oil spill was “mostly contained.”

He said the Coast Guard has not received any reports of impact on wildlife, shoreline residents, or the community at this time. McGinnis said the Coast Guard urges visitors and residents to stay away from the vicinity as crews work to clean up the oil spill.

If visitors or residents notice a sheen or oil spill-related impact in the area, contact the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.

Kalli Hawkins May 30, 2024