2007 Oil Spill Culprit Faces Sentencing

You may recall that container ship, the Cosco Busan, that plowed into one of the Bay Bridge supports back in November '07 and dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the Bay, and the pilot of the ship is now facing sentencing in federal court in San Francisco. Pilot John Cota of Petaluma struck a plea bargain and faces 2 to 10 months in jail for 2 counts of negligently polluting the Bay and killing migratory birds. Defense attorney say Cota has "deep feelings of regret about the tragic events" but also say that there were other factors involved in the accident besides Cota's negligence, including heavy fog. Cota's blamed for causing upwards of $70 million in damages to local beaches, wildlife (like the oil-covered duck found at Lake Merritt, right) and the fishing industry. UPDATE: He got 10 months.