The source of a <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/oil_spills">diesel fuel spill on Massachusetts’ Mystic River near the Tobin Bridge in Boston Harbor has not been determined. According to various media reports, the diesel fuel spill was reported Saturday, but the U.S. Coast Guard now says the spill has dissipated.
The Coast Guard said a sheen on the water’s surface measured 800 feet long and 20 feet wide. However, it is not known how many gallons of diesel fuel actually spilled into the river.
The spill was reported by employees of the ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. gasoline terminal in Everett, at roughly 1:23 p.m. on Saturday.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said it had conducted shoreline searches into Saturday night to determine a source of the spill. After resuming searches yesterday, no source was determined and the isolated spill totaling a few gallons had dissipated on its own.
A spokesperson for ExxonMobil told the Boston Globe the company was cooperating with the Coast Guard. No issues have been found with any of Exxon’s facilities, the official said, who noted the sheen appeared to be coming from up river.
According to the Globe report, the Coast Guard was not characterizing the spill as a serious threat.
“At this point it doesn’t look like it’s a serious threat. It sounds like a very thin layer,’’ said Petty Officer James Rhodes.
