Since 2016, more than 70 oil sheens were reported in the water between New Bedford and Fairhaven, for which no one has claimed responsibility, according to US Coast Guard.
Lt. Lynn Schrayshuen, MSD New Bedford unit supervisor, noted that New Bedford Harbor has a “chronic oil spill problem.” Patrols New Bedford Harbor are regularly looking for oil in high traffic areas and when discovered, the teams investigate it to determine if the amount is recoverable, and collect a sample.
The samples are documented and taken to the Coast Guard Marine Safety Lab in New London, Connecticut for testing. There, they are processed and cleaned of organic material until only oil is left. If the oil fingerprint from the sheen matches the fingerprint from a suspected bilge sample, the team can identify a responsible party. However, a match is not always found.
Kristy Juaire, lab manager, said oil fingerprints can change due to chemical, physical, or biological elements in the environment.
Another challenge is that vessels often share mooring piers which make it hard for the team to know which boat was where and when.
When the team pinpoints a responsible party, enforcement actions can include a letter of warning, a notice of violation, or a civil penalty. If the spill is proven intentional or the result of severe negligence, the responsible party may face criminal charges with fines reaching as high as $44,549 per day, per spill.
In 2016, 14 such penalties were issued in MSD New Bedford’s jurisdiction and, in 2017, there have been six.
US Coast Guard recommends everyone to report any sheen or spill, in order to prevent spills and restore the harbor in New Bedford.
