Posted on 12/01/2007 10:25:06 AM PST by martin_fierro
San Francisco Bay oil spill: State suspends pilot's license
VESSEL BEHIND S.F. BAY OIL SPILL COULD BE SOLD TO FUND CLEANUP
12/01/2007 01:36:42 AM PST
Government pressure tightened dramatically Friday against the sailors and shipping company involved in the Nov. 7 San Francisco Bay oil spill, as state regulators suspended the license of the ship's pilot and federal prosecutors threatened to confiscate and sell the huge vessel to pay spill cleanup costs.
At a hearing of the state Board of Pilot Commissioners in San Francisco, the pilot, Capt. John Cota of Petaluma, spoke publicly for the first time about the incident, saying the investigation is not over yet.
-- snip --
Also Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil suit against the owner of the ship, Hong Kong-based Regal Stone Ltd.; the company that insured it, Shipowners' Insurance & Guaranty Co.; and Cota.
-- snip --
Since 1981, Cota has been the subject of 12 probes by the pilot commission into various incidents, most of them minor, Moloney said the day after the collision. In most cases he was not found at fault.
Most recently, in February 2006, Cota was at the bridge of a bulk carrier ship, the Pioneer, when it ran aground in the mud off Antioch. There were no injuries or spills. He was found at fault by the pilot board, however, and received a letter of reprimand.
-- snip --
Also Friday, state lawmakers at an investigative hearing on the spill concluded that the state's response was inadequate and vowed to reform the system. Officials from Louisiana-based O'Brien's Group, a cleanup coordinator on contract with the owner of the ship, boycotted the hearing without explanation.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Cota was referring to the Chinese captain and crew of the Cosco Busan, the cargo ship that sideswiped a tower of the Bay Bridge on a foggy morning, spilling 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel. Both the captain and crew so far have refused to be interviewed by the U.S. Coast Guard or other authorities.
Remember when oil spills were reported in barrels? I do.
Ever wonder why that changed?
The nuts have taken over the world!
What's next? Mililiters?
As well they should.
My understanding is that once the required local pilot is in charge, he has final control and authority in navigation and control. If any critical equipment was not working or malfunctioning, the pilot should have aborted the exit.
Under those circumstances, what can the captain and crew contribute that is meaningful?
1,381 barrels of Bunker fuel.
Doesn’t sound quite as dramatic, does it?
How about - 211 metric tons? Even less exciting.
But 58 THOUSAND GALLONS!!!! Well, that’s something a Greenie can get his anger around, eh?
FWIW, I suspect the Bay areas gets far more in Non Point Source (NPS) oil pollution every couple of months in the rainy season.
California State regulators suspended the license of the ship’s pilot Capt. John Cota but the suspension is not an indication of negligence on his part. The suspension during the investigation is not meant to prejudice the pilot; it seems like standard operating procedure for such incidence.
[But 58 THOUSAND GALLONS!!!! Well, that’s something a Greenie can get his anger around, eh?]
Better yet, that makes 232,000 QUARTS of bunker oil.
Ooooh, THAT should make some envirowhackos short hairs stand up!
“My understanding is that once the required local pilot is in charge, he has final control and authority in navigation and control.”
As one who has often been on the bridge of Navy ships moving in and out of the Bay, I am in a position to say that you are correct. At the same time, a ship’s captain can never divest himself of responsibility.
“If any critical equipment was not working or malfunctioning, the pilot should have aborted the exit.”
The only critical equipment a harbor pilot is supposed to need is his eyes and his brain.
A Navy quartermaster might take bearings on three points and report, “Hold us twenty yards left of track.” A harbor pilot will say, “Whan the last piling on that decrepit pier lines up with that old chicken coop, bring it over hard right.” (Actual example.)
Crude oil is measured in barrels, but the heavy bunker oil is the ship’s fuel and is measured in gallons.
Crude oil is measured in barrels, but the heavy bunker oil is the ship’s fuel and is measured in gallons.
Under California law, the board now has six days to decide whether to file a formal accusation of "pilot negligence," a move that seemed likely. That could lead to sanctions or the revocation of Cota's license.
Cota was on board the cargo ship, advising its captain, at the time of the collision. The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board haven't finished their investigations, but Cota is under fire because as the pilot on the bridge of the ship, his job was to provide critical advice about local conditions to the captain. "The probability of us filing an accusation is very likely," said Capt. Patrick Moloney, executive director of the state Board of Pilot Commissioners.
Of course he's right, by today's practice of reporting quantities. I would love to know what the standards were in 1952.
My point being, the units employed are totally arbitrary today, calculated, I suspect, for maximum hysteria.
The simplest way to fix this....is to make the San Francisco Bay area....a non-commercial bay...no vessels but private craft allowed. This would prevent any future accident from occurring, and take at least 30 percent of the business out of San Francisco. We could all help in making the city a finer, smaller, and less significant city in the vision of America. I think its the interest of all of us....to ensure commercial boat terminates there and doubles in Seattle or Vancouver, Canada.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.