Common murre. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web site.

Date of incident: January 28, 1986, through February 4, 1986.

Location: San Francisco Bay to Long Beach Harbor, California.

Trustees:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
• California Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response

Case status: Case settled. Under restoration.

Overview: Between January 28 and February 4, 1986, the barge Apex Houston discharged approximately 25,000 gallons of San Joaquin Valley crude oil while in transit from San Francisco Bay to the Long Beach Harbor. The oil coated beaches from Point Reyes to Monterey and killed 9,000 seabirds. Federal and state natural resources trustees commenced litigation under the Clean Water Act and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act against potentially responsible parties in 1988. The case was settled under a consent decree in August 1994 for $6.4 million. A trustee council, composed of representatives from NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the California Department of Fish and Game, was established to review, select, and oversee implementation of restoration actions for natural resources injured by the spill.