Unified Command: Tug Ocean Eagle Grounding

Location: Sumner Strait – the tug Ocean Eagle and its barge initially grounded at Mariposa Reef at 56° 22.938N 133° 42.00W and subsequently refloated on the high tide and drifted to a small cove in the vicinity of Alvin Bay at 56° 25.238N 133° 53.436W.
Time/Date: The tug Ocean Eagle initially grounded on March 1, 2017 at approximately 7:15 p.m.
Spill Id: 17119906002
Product/ Quantity: The captain of the tug Ocean Eagle reported 15 gallons of diesel released from the day tank vent. He reported 58,000 gallons of diesel fuel onboard the tug. The tug was towing a freight barge with a 100,000-gallon capacity tank onboard holding 52,000 gallons of fuel. The tank on the barge is elevated off of the barge bottom.
Cause: The tug Ocean Eagle ran aground resulting in the tug taking on water into the engine compartment. Initial assessment by contract tug personnel appears to indicate that the source of the water is the shaft packing. The tug’s captain reported a sheen at Mariposa Reef that was caused by fuel escaping from the day tank vent as the tug listed and was rocked by waves. There were no reports of sheening at any time while the tug and barge were in Alvin Bay.