Julie N oil spill

The Julie N oil spill being contained

The Julie N oil spill occurred on September 27, 1996, when the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Julie N struck the Million Dollar Bridge in Portland, Maine while carrying over 200,000 barrels (32,000 m³) of heating oil. An estimated 180,000 U.S. gallons (680,000 liters) of oil was spilled in the incident; about 38,000 U.S. gallons (140,000 liters) was never recovered.

Accident

On September 21, 1996, the 560 foot (170 m) Julie N departed Amuay Bay, Venezuela after receiving a load of heating oil, arriving in Casco Bay on the night of September 26. The next morning, the ship set off from its anchorage in Portland Harbor en route to the Rolling Mills Terminal in South Portland, Maine via the Fore River. The vessel was being operated by a maritime pilot to guide it into port. The pilot, who had worked exclusively in Portland for the last three years, had performed the passage hundreds of times.

At the mouth of the river were two structures side-by-side: the Million Dollar Bridge and its replacement, which was under construction. The working horizontal clearance of the Million Dollar Bridge was 95 feet (29 m) wide, while the ship's beam was 85 feet (26 m), affording only five feet (1.5 m) on either side of the tanker ship to maneuver.

Approaching the mouth of the river from the northeast, the pilot issued three orders for port rudder to align the vessel with the channel's centerline. Satisfied with the approach, the pilot then intended to order hard starboard to enter the channel. Instead, the pilot accidentally ordered the ship hard port. While the order was corrected only seconds later, the vessel could not alter course in time to avoid an allision.

At approximately 11:05AM, the Julie N impacted the south side of the Million Dollar Bridge. The impact ripped a 33 foot (10 m) long opening in the side of the ship, which began dumping oil into the Fore River. Winds and ocean currents drove some of the oil upstream into marshes and estuaries.

A team from Bath Iron Works conducted temporary repairs of the vessel after the incident. The ship was inspected multiple times before being allowed to travel under its own power to ASTANO in Spain for further repairs.

Damage to the Million Dollar Bridge was repaired by the contractor who was already building the new bridge, and road traffic resumed on September 29.

In total, about 180,000 U.S. gallons (680,000 liters) of petroleum spilled from the hull of the Julie N.

Cleanup

Local and state authorities quickly responded to the disaster with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection assuming command of the clean up process. Although the spill was contained relatively early in the incident, miles of coastline and marsh were coated with oil. The process of cleaning up took several days and cost 43 million dollars. The oil spill occurring in the Fore River did not have as many environmental consequences as initially assumed. Wildlife remained safe for the most part, as few animals died or were seriously injured as a result of the spill, although the Maine DEP recorded approximately 1600 soiled birds. Flushing and hot water techniques were used to clean out the intricate estuaries upstream of the Fore River. The clean up efforts were mostly successful as almost 80 percent of the toxins entering the bay from the Julie N were recovered.

Effects and aftermath

Workers clean residual oil from the bow compartment of Julie N

An estimated 38,000 U.S. gallons (140,000 liters) of petroleum were unable to be cleaned up and traces of oil can still be found in the region dating back to this disaster. Regardless of this fact, wildlife now flourishes in the areas once engrossed in chemicals. The spill had a significant impact upon the local economy as Maine lobster and fish prices lowered due to national media coverage of the oil spill. Fishing authorities also ordered that there be no private or commercial fishing within a 16-mile zone (26 km), which further damaged the local fishing economy. Furthermore, several thousand lobster traps had to be replaced due to oil contamination.

The Million Dollar Bridge sustained only minor damage that did not affect its structural integrity. While the limited horizontal span of the bridge was partially to blame for the accident, the new Casco Bay Bridge was under construction during the time and was opened for traffic the following year. The new Bridge has a significantly larger horizontal span and has more sophisticated pile protection for ship collisions.