Dubai Star Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco, October 2009

On the morning of October 30, 2009, OSPR received notification of a spill from the tanker ship Dubai Star during bunkering (taking on fuel oil), at Anchorage 9, south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The source of the spill was stopped and the oil cleaned up. The spill was estimated to be between 400 and 800 gallons of IFO 380, an intermediate fuel oil, which is considered a moderately heavy fuel oil. Some birds were impacted, most were cleaned and released. All fisheries and beaches affected by the spill were open but the public was still asked to follow the guidelines established by the Office of Environment Health Hazard Assessment for consumption of fish and shellfish in the San Francisco Bay. On May 9, 2012, the owners and operators of the Dubai Star settled for more than $1.4 million in natural resource damages and $550,000 in civil penalties.

Find more information at CDFW > OSPR > NRDA > Dubai Star - San Francisco