Dredge Sinks; 150 Gallons of Diesel Fuel Spill Off Monterey

SANTA BARBARA — A dredge being towed to the Sacramento Delta sank off the coast of Monterey early Wednesday morning and spilled about 150 gallons of diesel fuel near sensitive marine sanctuaries.

The leak resulted in a two-mile-long oil slick about 300 yards from shore, said Phil Nelms, a patrol captain for the state Department of Fish and Game. There is no evidence yet of damage to marine life or sea birds, Nelms said, but authorities are monitoring the situation.

The oil slick has drifted above the Pacific Grove Marine Fish Refuge, a sensitive area rich in marine life. And the slick is about five miles from other ecological preserves where there are large populations of sea otters.

But authorities say they are optimistic because the spill was relatively small and because diesel fuel does not pose as great a danger to marine life as crude oil, which is much thicker.

“Right now, it’s looking pretty good,” Coast Guard spokesman Chris Karo said. “The weather’s cooperating . . . the sun and the choppy waters are helping dissipate the fuel.”