$44 Million Settlement Announced in Cosco Busan Case
The 2007 spill of 53,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil after the ship struck the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge "left a lasting scar across our water, natural habitats and wildlife," California Attorney General Kamala Harris said. "This settlement will allow all of these precious resources to be restored to their original health and beauty."
Federal, state of California, and local officials announced a $44 million settlement Sept. 19 with the owner and operators of the M/V Cosco Busan, a tanker that struck the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, 2007, puncturing a fule tank from qwhich 53,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil spilled into the bay. At the announcement, California Attorney General Kamala Harris said the spill "left a lasting scar across our water, natural habitats and wildlife. This settlement will allow all of these precious resources to be restored to their original health and beauty," she added.
The spill killed thousands of birds, fouled miles of shoreline habitat, and closed the bay and area beaches to recreation and fishing.
Representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, the State of California, the City and County of San Francisco, and the City of Richmond signed a consent decree that requires Regal Stone Limited, the ship's owner, and Fleet Management Ltd., the operator, to pay $44.4 million for natural resource damages and penalties and reimbursement of governmental response costs.