California Marine Oil Spill Fisheries Closure: Key Processes of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) During a Fisheries Closure Event

Abstract

ABSTRACT Following the 2007 M/V Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay, California, legislation was enacted to provide for the closure of fisheries by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) after oil spills in marine waters. This legislation (DFG Code Section 5654) facilitated a partnership between the state's primary oil spill responder, the Department of Fish and Game, Office of Spill Prevention and Response (DFG/OSPR), and the state's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the agency responsible for determining whether fish caught in California waters can be safely consumed. A fisheries closure protocol established as a result of the statute stipulates the role of staff at both agencies, from the initial spill responders to data evaluation and reopening of a closed fishery. OEHHA staff is required to assess the need for fisheries closure following a spill event. When a fisheries closure is deemed necessary for more than 48 hours, OEHHA will select species and chemicals for analysis, determine sampling strategies, conduct a risk assessment on the safety of fish and shellfish consumption, and work with DFG/OSPR to modify closure boundaries, if indicated. Relevant case study information from California spills, including the T/V Dubai Star is shown.