Bunker Spill in Honolulu Harbor

Coast Guard crews, and other local agencies respond to an oil discharge from vessel Kamokuiki at Pier 19 in Honolulu, Nov. 07, 2019. U.S. Coast Guard Photo

The U.S. Coast Guard repsonded to a bunker fuel discharge from a Matson containership near Pier 19 in Honolulu on Thursday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received a report from the master of the M/V Kamokuiki, Wednesday evening that heavy fuel oil discharged during bunkering operations with a barge.

The crew of the vessel immediately secured the discharge, activated their Vessel Response Plan, and began clean-up operations.

Pacific Environmental Corporation and Marine Spill Response Corporation representatives have deployed 25 bales of absorbent material stretching from the stern of the vessel to Pier 22.

Two response vessels arrived on scene and deployed 1600 feet of hard boom surrounding the 25 bales of absorbent material and spilled oil.

A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin crew completed an over-flight of the impacted area Thursday morning and confirmed some of the oil had leaked out of the contained area and was coming ashore near the Coast Guard Base Honolulu on Sand Island.

Clean-up of the impacted area is still on-going. So far, two barrels (about 84 gallons) of oil has been recovered with sorbent material, and another 40 gallons have been cleaned up by skimmers deployed in the area.

There are no reports of impacted wildlife.

The U.S.-flagged M/V Kamokuiki is a 8,490 LT containership operated by Matson.

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