Diesel Spill Near Woodley Island Marina Prompts Booms, Investigation

A rainbow-colored diesel sheen roughly 150 yards long and 200 feet wide appeared on Humboldt Bay near the foot of F Street Sunday morning, March 8, prompting a multi-agency response and raising alarm about Humboldt Bay's aquaculture and sensitive coastal habitat before marina staff contained the spill.

Booms were deployed and cleanup was completed by Woodley Island Marina staff, according to a Cal OES Hazardous Materials Spill Report filed the following Monday. That report identified the fishing vessel Valliant, docked at Woodley Island Marina's Dock B, as the origin of the release. The cause remains unknown, though investigators suspect the bilge. The sheen was observed traveling south across the bay, originating from a point across the water from where a community tipster first spotted it near F Street.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Public Information Officer Eric Laughlin confirmed the agency responded. "The source is still under investigation, but the fuel sheen may be from a 49-foot fishing vessel per preliminary observations," Laughlin said. A CDFW scientist conducted a wildlife assessment at the scene and found no oiled wildlife.

Agencies notified include the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CDFW's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Humboldt County Environmental Health, among others.

No volume of diesel was specified in available reports, and no enforcement actions or citations have been announced. The investigation into the Valliant's role and the precise cause of the release remains ongoing.

The incident drew concern beyond the immediate cleanup. Officials indicated plans to meet with State Fish and Wildlife representatives and the Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response to discuss protocols and intergovernmental coordination, calling the incident "troubling" and warning it "could have been disastrous for the sensitive coastal environment and the aquaculture industry that farms the Bay waters."

Anyone who spots an oil spill on California waters can report it by calling the Cal OES State Warning Center at 1-800-852-7550.