Second Port of Los Angeles oil spill in a month prompts cleanup

U.S. Coast Guard officials on Thursday were investigating and cleaning up the second oil spill to occur this month in Los Angeles Harbor.

The spill occurred at the Vopak Terminal near Wilmington when an oily-water mixture coming from a dockside holding tank was spotted at about 11 a.m., according to a Coast Guard news release.

“Most of it is on the pier and what did enter the water was an oily water mixture,” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Sondra-Kay Kneen.

Investigators from the Coast Guard were on the scene along with oil spill response teams from the National Response Corp., Ocean Blue and Patriot Environmental.

Crews were using oil skimmers and absorbent pads as well as a containment boom that was deployed around the tanker ship TULA to minimize the spread of pollutants.

The ship is moored inside the terminal, and the Coast Guard said cleaning it will take priority. The vessel caot leave port until it has been decontaminated, the news release said.

Thursday’s oil spill was the second in less than three weeks inside the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex.

A larger spill on March 13 was attributed to a faulty pipe on the 577-foot cargo ship Istra Ace after it arrived in the Port of Los Angeles.

The ship was seen leaking heavy fuel in the Cerritos Chael at Berth 198 when it came into the port. It took more than a week to clean up.