Those responsible for the recent oil leak that polluted more than 20,500 gallons of seawater at Florida’s SeaPort Manatee must be found and held accountable, said U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL).
“With no evidence pointing to any infrastructure failures or pipeline leaks so far, it looks increasingly likely that someone may have dumped this oil and is failing to come forward,” Rep. Buchanan said on Sept. 8 during a tour of the area. “Whether an accident or purposeful, any potential bad actors must be held accountable for putting our waterways at risk.”
SeaPort Manatee on Aug. 31 reported the oil spill to the National Response Center, which provides assistance in response and recovery for emergencies involving hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants, like crude oil. The U.S. Coast Guard on Sept. 1 began the cleanup process and the investigation into the cause of the spill under Sector Commander Capt. Michael Kahle.
“I appreciate the work the U.S. Coast Guard is doing, led by Capt. Kahle, to investigate the source of this spill and ensure it never happens again,” said Rep. Buchanan. “I look forward to the investigation’s timely resolution.”
As of this past weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard, the port crew, and other responders have successfully removed 99 percent of the surface oil and water mixture from the area and cleaned up the oil-contaminated debris, according to Kahle, who said that roughly 19,000 gallons of contaminated water were removed from the port, with about 3,500 gallons of that being heavy, unrefined oil.
Rep. Buchanan, who toured the facility Friday morning, noted that SeaPort Manatee generates more than $5.1 billion in annual impact for the region and supports more than 37,000 jobs.
“Our local waterways, environment and marine life are incredibly important to area residents and Florida’s tourism-based economy,” he said. “Just as water quality is critical to our way of life, Port Manatee is essential to our area’s economy, and I’m committed to ensuring both are safeguarded from future spills.”
In fiscal year 2022, more than 11 million tons of cargo, 404.6 million gallons of petroleum products, and 125 million gallons of fruit juice passed through SeaPort Manatee, which is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal.