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RWM Home > Programs > Emergency & Spill Response > Additional Information & Resources > After the Oil Spill: Julie N

After the Oil Spill: Julie N

Introduction

At approximately 11:05 A.M. on September 27, 1996, the oil tanker Julie N, inbound with a cargo of 8.8 million gallons of #2 fuel oil, struck the south side of the Million Dollar Bridge spanning Portland Harbor between Portland and South Portland, Maine as it went through the draw span. Following the collision, the vessel proceeded one mile up the Fore River to the Rolling Mills terminal where it was boomed off. In the collision with the bridge, the Julie N sustained a substantial hole to its port bow area. The forward bunker tank lost approximately 93,198 gallons of IFO 380 heavy fuel oil. The #1 port cargo tank lost approximately 86,436 gallons of #2 diesel, totaling 179,634 gallons of spilled oil. High winds and extremely high tides on September 28th and 29th caused an unspecified amount of oil to be released from the boomed area and to be carried into the upper Fore River and Stroudwater Marsh area, including Long Creek. Recovery efforts continued until clean up was declared complete on December 2, 1996.

Photo of the Julie N

Recovery rates for oil spills typically range from 10% to 15%. Of the 179,634 gallons spilled in the Julie N spill, 140,994 gallons were recovered - a recovery rate of 78%. Booming requirements around the vessel and during transfer of oil are largely responsible for the extremely high recovery rate. The final tally indicated that while a very high percentage of the oil was recovered, approximately 38,618 gallons of oil were lost to the environment.

Cleanup near shoreline

 

Cleanup and Maps

 

Each of the shoreline types affected required different cleaning techniques. Cleanup is very difficult on sheltered tidal flats because of the soft substrate. Under most conditions, the oil is lifted off the mudflat and collects at the high tide line. Ambient water flushing and hot water washing was used on man-made structures. The wash removed the pockets of oil from the rip-rap and bulkheads, leaving only a black stain. Approximately 8 miles of marsh was oiled. The use of COREXIT 9580 (a surface cleaning agent designed to lift and float oil) was tested on a portion of the marsh area to determine the feasibility of floating the oil off the marsh grass for recovery. After conducting the test, officials determined that the best response strategy for the marsh areas was to let them recover naturally, with limited test cutting of marsh grass to compare recovery rates.

The map below shows an overview of the extent of oiling and treatments used for the Fore River and Long Creek. 

Map of Julie N - Shoreline exposure to oil and cleanup

Natural Resource Damage Assessment

 

As the response operations were drawing to a close the spill was transitioning to the Natural Resource Damage Assessment phase. Federal and state trustees began their assessment of the damages to the natural resources caused by the spill.

The Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990 authorizes state and federal natural resource trustees to initiate a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) when, among other requirements, natural resources may have been injured and/or natural resource services impaired as a result of the incident. The NRDA consists of three phases: preassessment, restoration planning and restoration implementation.

For More on NRDA, visit Natural Resource Damage Assessment Guidance Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

The 100 page preassessment report was completed in September, 1998. It contains an introduction, a description of the incident and a chronology of response and cleanup operations, a description of the chemical properties, toxicological characteristics and environmental fate of the two spilled oils and an overview of the preassessment studies conducted in the aftermath of the spill. The studies related to the oil spill are grouped according to six major categories:

  • Marine vegetation
  • Marine communities (finfish, shellfish, vertical wall communities and benthic organisms)
  • Sediment quality
  • Birds
  • Water Quality
  • Socio-economic consideration

The preassessment report also contains various graphics of overflight maps and sampling locations.

View the Preassessment Report 2,681 KB. In pdf format. To view PDF files, get Adobe Acrobat Reader here.

Restoration Plans

 

The 24 page Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment was completed in December, 1999. It consists of an introduction, description of the affected environment, a summary of natural resource and public use impacts and an analysis of restoration alternatives.

The Trustees selected the following projects to include in their restoration proposal after carefully considering a range of restoration alternatives. For marine communities, the "Portland Oil and Grease Removal Project" is proposed to reduce the discharge of oil and greases to the Fore River and thereby enhance the marine environment's overall quality. For wetlands/birds, the Trustees have selected projects which have as their goals the enhancement of approximately 130 acres of salt marsh habitat for bird species affected by the Julie N spill and the acquisition and protection of marine bird nesting habitat. For lost public uses, the Trustees propose the construction of a one-mile segment of recreational trail along the Fore River.

The process of implementing the restoration plan began in the summer of 2000 with planning for the Scarborough Marsh restoration project. Grants are also expected to be made to the Portland Trails organization for the Fore River trail project and the City of Portland for the PAH abatement project.

For more information, contact Mark Margerum at 207-287-7842.

Acknowledgements: Information on the site was compiled from the following sources: (1) Julie N Oil Spill Report (Maine DEP), (2) On Scene Coordinator's Report of the Response to the Major Spill Resulting From the Collision of the Tank Vessel Julie N with the Million Dollar Bridge in Portland Harbor, Portland Maine on 27 September, 1996 (U.S. Dept of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard), (3) Julie N Preassessment Data Report, and (4) Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the September 27, 1996 Julie N Oil Spill Maps used on the site were prepared by Seth Barker of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Data sources include base map features provided by the Maine Office of GIS; Maine Geological Survey: Coastal Marine Geologic Environments; Maine Department of Environmental Protection: Shoreline Oiling and Treatment; NOAA / Tom Burns, Portland: photographic mosaic of the inner Fore River; and NOAA / RPI: Marsh Types and Degree of Oiling.