1,500 gallons of gas leak into Carquinez Strait after tug hits pipe
(05-14) 09:42 PDT MARTINEZ — A tugboat struck and ruptured a pipeline near the Tesoro refinery in Martinez early today, spilling as much as 1,500 gallons of gasoline into the Carquinez Strait, the Coast Guard said.
The incident happened at 12:20 a.m. when the tugboat Independence struck three pipelines at the Avon wharf at Tesoro’s Golden Eagle refinery on the southern shore of the Carquinez Strait, said Petty Officer Kevin Neff.
One of the pipes, which is a foot in diameter, was damaged and began leaking fuel into the strait, which leads to San Francisco Bay. There were no vessels at the wharf and no activities there at the time of the accident, authorities said. No injuries were reported.
The pipe was not transferring gasoline at the time, and the fuel that spilled was a residual amount that was in the line, Neff said. The Avon wharf is used to load vessels for transporting motor fuels throughout the West Coast.
64,000 gallons of sewage spills into bay off Marin
(05-14) 10:04 PDT TIBURON — About 64,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled into the bay off Tiburon because of an overflow at a treatment plant, the latest in a spate of sewage spills in Marin County, authorities said today.
The sewage from a Tiburon Sanitary District plant at 2001 Paradise Drive spilled into Racoon Strait between midnight and 7 a.m. Tuesday. People have been warned to stay out of the water as a precaution while health officials await the results of tests.
The spill occurred because of a short circuit in a backup system, district manager Robert Lynch said. “I think we rely on technology too much sometimes,” he said.
The sewage had already been partially treated after being chlorinated and dechlorinated, Lynch said. The plant serves Belvedere and parts of Tiburon.
Just in time for Bay to Breakers, the Million Pirate March, and the StFYC Stone Cup.
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