$4,007,242 for Coastal Ecosystem Restoration

On the evening of September 26, 1998, the tanker vessel Command left San Francisco Bay bound for Panama. As it traveled in the southbound traffic lane off San Francisco and San Mateo County coasts, it released an estimated 3,000 gallons of fuel oil. The spill killed more than 1,500 sea birds and scattered tarballs over 15 miles of beaches, mainly in San Mateo County.

One year to the day after the spill, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that it had agreed to settlement terms with the parties responsible for the spill. The vessel's owner and the operator agreed to pay $4,007,242 in damages for natural resource injuries, primarily to seabirds, resulting from the incident.

Approximately $2,850,000 will be used for seabird projects,
particularly benefiting Common Murres, $400,000 for Marbled Murrelet projects and $200,000 for projects benefiting shoreline and human use.

• News Release about Draft Restoration Plan

• Draft Restoration Plan

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fact sheet

• California Dept. of Fish & Game OSPR page (Office of Spill Prevention & Response)

Oil Tanker Command being escorted by Coast Guard after oil spill