The ongoing oil spill mystery at the Port of San Juan has been resolved, with the Coast Guard identifying the source and implementing a response. During a patrol on April 11, the Coast Guard discovered a corroded steel pipe leaking heavy oil between piers 2 and 3. This incident is not the first of its kind in the port, prompting the collection of samples for analysis at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Lab to compare with previous spills.
To address the leak, the Coast Guard utilized the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted Clean Harbor Environmental Services. By April 15, the team had plugged the pipe and set up containment booms to prevent further pollution.
Lab results received on May 5 indicated that the oil from the current spill shares characteristics with previous incidents at Pier 9 in 2024 and Pier 4 in 2021, suggesting a common source.
Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the site are being conducted by Sector San Juan and Clean Harbor crews. An interagency team plans to assess the subsurface for potential sources and develop a cleanup strategy to minimize future leaks, allowing normal port operations to continue during the investigation.
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