Coast Guard Investigation Continues Into Port Manatee Oil Spill That Polluted 20,500 Gallons of Seawater

Congressman believes private entity is source of water contamination that includes unrefined heavy oil.

SeaPort Manatee, seen here after its extensive cleanup of its mysterious oil spill that concluded on Sept. 11, 2023, would have been affected by the proposed rule changes. Courtesy of United States Coast Guard

Coast Guard officials are still investigating an oil spill at SeaPort Manatee that contaminated 20,500 gallons of seawater and required an 11-day cleanup operation in early September.

In a joint effort with the National Response Center (NRC) and SeaPort Manatee, the U.S. Coast Guard deployed 4,000 feet of “boom,” or floating barriers used to collect oil from the water’s surface, along with absorption and vacuuming procedures.