What caused the oil spill?

RODEO — Mysterious oil sheens that appeared on San Pablo Bay earlier recently had dissipated by Thursday, prompting authorities on Friday to demobilize the Unified Command established to answer the big event.

However, many questions remained towards cause and nature of spill, nearby the Phillips 66 oil refinery in Rodeo, that apparently sickened residents in Vallejo.

Randy Sawyer, primary ecological and hazardous products officer at Contra Costa wellness providers, said Friday “there is not any brand new news on in which the oil … originated in, ” but it “does perhaps not seem to have result from the Phillips 66 refinery.”

The U.S. Coast Guard said it had been collecting gas samples from oil tankers in the area and would deliver scuba divers to check a docked tanker for a possible leak whilst tries to find the origin associated with spill.

“We are searching in to the possible way to obtain the sheen and performing evaluating to try to rule out various sources, ” U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Brandyn Hill said during a Thursday afternoon development conference during the Phillips 66 refinery. “There was fast action by our national and condition lovers to be able to put the containment growth and acquire the gear out on the water to react to the original air pollution.”

Results of the scuba divers’ inspection and the Coast Guard’s screening weren't referred to as of midday Friday.

Dozens of people went to hospitals in Vallejo with complaints of headaches, sickness and dizziness Tuesday evening thought to are caused by the spill at or near the Phillips 66 marine terminal. On Wednesday, the Coast Guard reported that two sheens had been visible, including one that was approximately 1 mile very long and 40 yards broad.

an increase was deployed around the ship Wednesday morning, but by Thursday, both sheens had disappeared, relating to Sawyer. But a smell of crude oil hung floating around close to the refinery.

“There is not any evidence of oil at this time and no sheen visible, ” Sawyer said Thursday early morning. “The Coast Guard has brought many samples of gas from various vessels in the area to see if there is a match. Today, there's absolutely no direct proof that it was from the ship (docked within refinery).” On Friday, Sawyer stated it will take at least a week to obtain the outcomes of the screening.

Amy Norris, a spokeswoman the state dept. of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill protection and Response, stated surveyors was indeed dispatched to monitor the location between the Benicia and Carquinez bridges and confirmed that no “product” reached the shoreline. She could not say perhaps the product ended up being fuel, crude oil or something else.

“Our employees are out on ships surveying the bay all over bridges and between Mare Island and Petaluma River wanting to see if something has arrived to shore, ” Norris stated Thursday mid-day. “So far, there is no reported or observed oiled wildlife.”

Circumstances in the bay Wednesday — bright and windy — likely dissipated or evaporated anything that had spilled, she said. The Phillips 66 refinery had in addition tested transfer outlines in-and-out of the refinery and couldn't discover any problems.