Cleanup Underway After Bunker Spill in Honolulu

A cleanup is underway after heavy fuel oil spilled during bunker operations between the container ship Kamokuiki and a bunker barge on Wednesday evening in Honolulu.

The crew of the container ship vessel, berthed at Pier 19, secured the discharge, activated their Vessel Response Plan and began clean-up operations. Pacific Environmental Corporation and Marine Spill Response Corporation representatives deployed 25 bales of absorbent material stretching from the stern of the vessel to Pier 22. Two response vessels arrived on scene and deployed 1,600 feet of hard boom surrounding the 25 bales of absorbent material and spilled oil. 

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin crew completed an over-flight of the impacted area on Thursday and confirmed some of the oil had leaked out of the contained area and was coming ashore near the Coast Guard Base Honolulu on Sand Island.

Clean-up of the impacted area is still on-going. So far, two barrels (about 84 gallons) of oil has been recovered with sorbent material and another 40 gallons have been cleaned up by skimmers currently deployed in the area.

There are no reports of impacted wildlife.

Involved in the response are:
- U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu
- HI Department of Health, Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response
- Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC)
- OMI Environmental Solutions
- Pacific Environmental Organization (PENCO).