Americas News
35,000-gallon Navy Diesel Spill off U.S. Coast
A 35,000-gallon diesel spill from a U.S. Navy vessel off the U.S. East Coast last week dissipated before it could reach shore, local newspaper The Outer Banks Voice reports.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the spill off the North Carolina coast began on March 11 at 6 p.m.
"The Navy's marine diesel is generally a somewhat heavier product than typical diesel fuels," NOAA wrote in a report issued March 12.
"Nevertheless, it will still not be very persistent, and in the strong winds forecast, the sheen will rapidly dissipate."
Given the offshore winds at the time, NOAA wrote that the oil sheen should be gone within 18 to 24 hours after the release.
No direct environmental problems due to the spill were reported.
NOAA's website identifies the fuel spilled as #2 diesel fuel but lists the cause of the incident as "other/unknown."
