NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The U.S. Coast Guard and its partner agencies responded to an oil spill in Steamboat Creek in Norfolk Tuesday.
The Coast Guard said about 300 feet of shoreline has been impacted by the spill, which came from a waste oil tank on shore. The cleanup began Tuesday afternoon and is ongoing.
As of Thursday, officials said response teams had collected around 200 gallons of waste oil and water mix, along with 185 bags of oiled debris. Teams have also deployed over 7,000 feet of sorbent material in the affected area.
The Coast Guard said it’s unknown how much waste oil entered the water.
Officials added that 600 feet of hard boom was also removed from the watery. Overall, approximately 10,000 feet of sorbent material was recovered during the 14-day cleanup effort.
The source of the spill has been secured and the responsible party is “fully cooperating” with all response efforts.
A Coast Guard Sector Virginia pollution investigation team, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and the Norfolk Fire Marshal’s Office are also working together to coordinate the clean-up and assess the spill’s impacts.
“Our focus is the unity of effort amongst our partner agencies in this ongoing clean up,” says Lt. Savannah Kuntz, the Coast Guard Federal On Scene Coordinator Representative. “Our goal is to minimize impacts to environmentally sensitive areas and species present, and we are so thankful to have state and local partners that are pivotal in our efforts.”
Stay with WAVY.com for updates.
