By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau
A Tesoro Hawaii oil spill off Kalaeloa Jan. 28 does not appear to have reached Kaua‘i, according to surveys conducted by the state Department of Health, the Coast Guard, the oil company and the Clean Islands Council.
Teams that included representatives from all four entities conducted surveys Feb. 1-2 and again Thursday and Friday along Kaua‘i’s coast. They found no evidence that the spill affected the shoreline or that wildlife was harmed.
Dozens of seabirds and some coastal animals such as crabs were killed in a 1998 Tesoro Hawaii spill that dumped more than 4,500 gallons of oil into the ocean. The spill reached Kaua‘i and left tar balls and dead birds on some beaches.
Last month’s spill occurred as the tanker Overseas Chicago was unloading 600,000 barrels of crude through hoses and undersea pipelines to the Tesoro refinery at Kalaeloa, formerly Barbers Point. About 630 gallons spilled when a coupling separated from a transfer hose.
Much of the oil was contained by floating booms and collected with skimmers, and more was broken down with sprayed dispersant agents. A small slick initially was moving toward the southwest. A change in winds could have moved it toward Kaua‘i, but the oil apparently bypassed the island.
The Coast Guard and state Department of Health have ended their response to the spill.
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