Woodbridge: Arthur Kill fuel spill cleanup work continues

Suzanne Russell
Courier News and Home News Tribune
Oil boom on water following diesel fuel spill in Port Reading section of Woodbridge last week.

WOODBRIDGE - A week after diesel fuel spilled in the Arthur Kill Waterway near the township's Port Reading section, Bill Skinner still sees containment booms out on the water and he's hesitant to take his boat out for fear of damaging the motor.

In addition, Skinner, a Port Reading resident, is awaiting a third party working with the Buckeye Terminal in Port Reading to power wash and wax his boat.

Around 7:17 p.m. Sept. 6, the Coast Guard Sector New York received a report of a diesel fuel spill during a product transfer at the terminal, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release. The high winds and rain at the time of the incident prevented facility personnel from being able to calculate the exact amount of fuel that spilled into the water.

In a Sept. 10 news release Buckeye Port Reading Terminal LLC, a subsidiary of Buckeye Partners said the accidental release of diesel fuel came from the Port Reading terminal's storm water system.

Buckeye is investigating the cause of the equipment failure. The company's news release said the majority of the spilled product had been recovered but cleanup efforts continued for the remaining residual product. 

Oil on a mat in a creek following last week diesel fuel spill in the Arthur Kill near Port Reading.

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An email from the U.S. Coast Guard 1st District Public Affairs Detachment New York  sent to Woodbridge officials indicates about 76,000 gallons was contained in the berm around the tank and about 66,000 gallons was recovered. About 5,000 gallons spilled into the water, mostly within the first of three containment booms, according to the email. 

Following the spill, all fuel transfers were temporarily suspended while investigators tried to determine the cause of the spill and fueling operations can be safely conducted.

A Coast Guard pollution response team responded and an oil spill removal organization was contracted to clean up the spill and place containment booms in the water. Representatives from Middlesex County Hazmat, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency also responded.

According to the Coast Guard's news release, the spill involved one barge located inside the containment boom. The barge was inspected by federal coordinators and marine inspectors.  

 The Buckeye Terminal resumed full operations Thursday with the opening of the south dock, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard 1st District Public Affairs Detachment New York.

The unified command, comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, EPA, Buckeye Terminal, New Jersey DEP and New York Department of Environmental Conservation, that was established in response to the Sept. 6 spill is now standing down as the Coast Guard continues to monitor the clean up.

As of Thursday morning an estimates 56,000 gallons of oily product has been recovered. The cleanup work has included skimming, vac-trucks and use of absorbent material to remove the diesel. About 6,500 feet of boom was used to protect sensitive sites and contain the diesel, according to the news release.

Oil on the hull of a boat following at diesel fuel spill in the Arthur Kill near Port Reading last week.

Skinner quested what impact the oil will have on fish.

During the response there were no reports of injuries or impact on wildlife, according to the Coast Guard's release.

The cause of the spill remains under investigation.

Skinner, a retired electrician, said he now spends his recreational time fishing. Skinner has owned a boat since 1985 and has had a boat at the Sewaren marina for the past 15 to 20 years. His current boat has been housed at the marina for about three years.

Following last week's spill, Skinner noticed his boat was covered in oil and he questioned who was responsible for cleaning it up. On Thursday he got in touch with Buckeye Terminal who arranged for a third party to clean his boat.

John Hagerty, Woodbridge spokesman, said the township's Office of Emergency Management was never notified about the spill. 

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com