SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — A ship sinking in the Delta leaked fuel and oil Wednesday after a hole caused it to take on water.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office says the ship, called the Aurora, is docked near Empire Tract and Eight Mile Road outside Stockton. It's in the waters of the Little Potato Slough.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Office of Emergency Services and the US Coast Guard were a few of the agencies that responded to the scene in a rural part of San Joaquin County.
"It's under investigation as far as who owns the ship. We do believe it's a private owner," said Sheriff's Office spokesperson Heather Brent. "Right now, the biggest thing is containing that gasoline leak."
The gasoline leak is not as large as first responders once feared, an officer with the U.S. Coast Guard said, but the majority of Wednesday for law enforcement was spent placing floating barriers to slow the spread of any oil.
"There is minimal petroleum remaining on board on the aurora, so it shouldn't take too long to remove the pollution," said Petty Officer Stephen McConnell. "There's white absorbent boom already out there, which is meant to absorb any sheen that's in the water but we're putting in that hard boom."
First responders and state agencies got to work quickly, partly because Wednesday's ship sinking marked the second in recent months in the same area.
In September, a tugboat called the Mazapeta sunk beside the Aurora carrying 1,600 gallons of diesel and engine oil at the time. The cleanup took months and cost millions of dollars. It's unclear how much Wednesday's cleanup will cost and who will pay for it.
With fewer pollutants involved this time, the Coast Guard expects to clean the area up within four days. The Coast Guard says it is only on scene to clean up the pollution. The ship's future is left up to other agencies.
In a statement, Congressman Josh Harder said his office was monitoring the situation.
“I’m closely monitoring the oil leak on the Delta, and I am coordinating with the Coast Guard and our Sheriff’s Department," the statement said. "We have to contain the spill and get clean up crews the resources they need ASAP. It’s a quickly evolving situation and it’s vital our local and federal agencies work hand-in-hand to protect our waterways.”
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