SCIENTIFIC RESPONSE TO THE BLUE MAGPIE SPILL

Abstract

ABSTRACT On November 19, 1983, the 348-foot general cargo vessel Blue Magpie grounded on the jetty at Yaquina Bay, Oregon. The Blue Magpie carried approximately 225 tons of bunker C and 30 tons of diesel fuel. Bunker C leaked from the vessel for five days as the vessel was worked against the jetty by high winds and seas. Federal, state, and local scientists worked to support Coast Guard spill mitigation efforts by providing oil trajectory forecasts, identifying shoreline protection priorities, and determining cleanup requirements in environmentally sensitive areas. When it became evident that the oil onboard the ship could not be safely removed and would continue to contaminate the environmentally sensitive Yaquina Bay, scientists began to evaluate plans for a controlled release of all oil remaining on the ship. Important environmental considerations in this decision were the presence of the endangered brown pelican, migrating waterfowl, shellfish beds, and harbor seals, and the imminent arrival of migrating gray whales. Oil spill trajectory forecasts were used to evaluate the optimal time of release. The Coast Guard plans to release oil from the ship were timed to reduce environmental impacts. However, during the night of November 23 the forward section of the vessel broke, releasing most of the remaining oil. Winds and tides at that time corresponded closely to the optimal conditions for an intentional release.