RICHMOND, Calif. — Joint agency pollution response and prevention operations continue on the Tug Tiger, a decommissioned 205-foot former Navy tug, which sank while moored at the former dry dock in the Port of Richmond, Calif., December 11.

Tiger sank at the dock and crews have collected approximately 1,380 gallons of oil water mixture that has been slowly leaking from the vessel. The Lion, the Tiger’s sister ship, is still afloat and has been moved back roughly 100 feet from the Tiger as preparations begin to offload oil from it.  

Modifications and other work done to the Tiger over the years have resulted in a lack of exact information about fuel and oil tanks onboard the tug. Various records show that if each tank on the tug was full it could hold up to approximately 77,000 gallons.  Oil containment booms have been installed to keep any oil released from the ships within the former dry dock where it can be collected.

The Lion was stabilized and was moved away from the Tiger Thursday after naval architects determined it was safe to do so.  This allowed divers, salvage experts, and pollution response crew’s better access to the sunken Tiger.

Cleanup operations for oil released from Tiger will continue and both vessels are being closely monitored.   All remaining fuel onboard the Lion is now being removed to prevent a future spill.

The Unified Command responding to the cleanup efforts consists of members from the Coast Guard, California Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the Port of Richmond and the Richmond Fire Department.

Recreational traffic inbound and outbound north of Brook’s Island should travel with no wake as a safety measure for responders working on and around the water.

No wildlife impacts have been reported, but crews continue to monitor for them. Anyone seeing oiled wildlife should report it to 877-UCD-OWCN.

Past releases, factsheets and imagery are available at http://www.d11.uscgnews.com/go/doc/823/1259551/ 

SAN FRANCISCO - Coast Guard and Department of Fish and Game personnel responded to a report of the Tug Tiger, a decommissioned 205-foot former Navy tug, sinking while moored in Richmond, Calif., Sunday December 11.

The Coast Guard Incident Management Division personnel from Sector San Francisco arrived on scene and noticed a black discharge coming from the sinking vessel.

Global Diving and Salvage arrived on scene and deployed three layers of 22-inch hard boom around the tug with all pollution contained inside the boomed area.

The Coast Guard also oversaw the deployment of boom around Brook’s Island, a 373 square-acre preserve just south of Richmond inner harbor.

Global Diving and Salvage plans to conduct drum skimming to recover the released product.

The amount of product onboard the Tiger before it sank and the amount of product released is currently unknown. The cause of the vessel sinking is under investigation.

A Unified Command has been established and is coordinating the clean up response. The Unified Command consists of members from the Coast Guard, California Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the Port of Richmond and the Richmond Fire Department.

No wildlife impacts have been reported, but crews continue to monitor for them. Anyone seeing oiled wildlife should report it to 877-UCD-OWCN.