Coast Guard IDs vessel responsible for Cape oil spill

Jan. 30--WOODS HOLE -- The U.S. Coast Guard has identified the Ocean King, a towing vessel owned by Patriot Marine LLC in Winthrop, as the vessel responsible for an oil spill in Great Harbor last week.

The spill, which was reported to the Coast Guard on Jan. 21, left a heavy sheen on the water and has caused multiple bird deaths. The total count of dead birds found in the area was 29 as of Tuesday, said U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Nathan Mendes, though the cause of death has not yet been determined for every bird.

The Ocean King, a 95-foot vessel with a hailing port of Boston, according to a Coast Guard vessel database, will be responsible for paying all of the cleanup costs and may be liable for other damages, Mendes said. The Coast Guard does not have an estimate of the cost, and an insurance company for Patriot Marine LLC is still collecting claims, he said.

Members of the public who feel they've been damaged by the spill can file a claim with Patriot Marine LLC, he said.

Contractors are nearly done with the cleanup process and just have to move some containers with the pollutant off site, he said.

The Coast Guard will continue to investigate how and when the spill happened as well as whether additional penalties are warranted, he said.

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