Results tagged “sanfranciscobay”

While transferring oil from a barge to an oil tanker a little after 6:30 a.m. this morning, oil spilled into the San Francisco Bay this morning, leaving a big sheen. (Ugh.)

We came across this curiosity in the Chron this a.m.: several generations worth of free-floating sediment, upon which several pieces of the SF Bay's ecosystem depends, has finally washed out to sea after first being introduced via Central Valley rivers during the Gold Rush. The mud cannons used by gold miners siphoned so many tons of mud that eventually settled in the bay, that it has apparently taken this long to disappear, say scientists. We're unclear of all the bad implications though, but it seems to have something to do with global warming and the ecosystem needing to adapt back to its pre-1849 days of lower sediment levels. Anyway, herein lies your historical aquatic educational moment for this Monday morning.

A little after 5 a.m. this morning, a man aboard a container ship making its way into the Oakland Outer Harbor fell overboard. Found by the ship's crew and taken to to Pier 35 in San Francisco, the unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was also found "with no personal flotation device" after plunging some 900 feet from up high. The ship, according to SFGate, is owned by Aries Line Shipping and managed by Evergreen Marine UK Ltd.

Going head to head with the Wilderness Act and righteous green folk, Senator Dianne Feinstein reformulated a bill that would allow Drakes Bay Oyster Co., California's largest commercial shellfish farm, to continue farming inside the 1,100-acre land property at the Point Reyes National Seashore. According to the , the popular oyster company "has been battling the National Park Service to extend its business operation beyond a 2012 federal deadline." and "Feinstein's bill would prolong oysterman Kevin Lunny's [Drakes owner] lease for 10 years, even though an Interior Department attorney concluded that any extension of the operation would violate the federal Wilderness Act."

Timecapsule: January 30, 1847

Timecapsule: November 15, 1856

          

The U.S. Coast Guard and San Francisco/Marin firefighters are battling a blaze on the eastside of Angel Island, which was reported at 9 p.m. Sunday tonight.

Four commercial fishermen were rescued today after their 35-foot commercial fishing boat, christened "Reward," capsized 50 yards off of Pier 45 today. Fortunately, as a response boat from the Coast Guard Station was performing "training evolutions" in the Bay, they noticed the boat sinking, went into action, and rescued the four fishermen. No injuries were sustains.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water:

According to Marin County officials, about "1,500 gallons of raw sewage" was dumped into the San Francisco Bay today near Point San Quentin. Grody. According to the Gate:

Oh shit.

Due to a gasoline tanker truck accident -- which resulted in an eco-unfriendly dousing of over "26 gallons" (?) of gasoline, or so said CBS 5's Judge Judy breaking-news interruption -- all northbound and southbound lanes on Highway 101 in Redwood City are closed. That? Blows.

The first of what will soon be many Cosco Busan reports

Cosco Busan Update:

According to the Coast Guard, "a barge has hit the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge" around 6 p.m. this evening. Yikes! The barge, reportedly carrying 63,000 barrels of heavy black oil, hit the east piling of the west span. So far there are no reports of any injuries or leakage.

Image credit goes to Plug 1 at WhatImSeeing

The Busan is free to leave.

Never having to drive through this again? Sob.

Although ABC 7's Cheryl Jennings -- who we find kicky and whimsical -- told us that a cleaning solvent spilled into the bay this morning, we're getting conflicting reports as to whether or not the spill actually hit precious, precious SF waters.

Although her contract ends in 2009, former SF Mayoral candidate and current San Francisco Public Utilities Commission chief Susan Leal might get the ax, according to Cecilia M. Vega over at the Chronicle. Her removal could kickoff a bloodbath of staff cuts by Newsom. And although her dismissal would need approval by committee, this seems like a done deal. According to the article: Leal received a telephone call Friday evening from Newsom's chief of...

Like the bad ass she is, occasional San Francisco resident and current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has written to the "Homeland Security Department's inspector general requesting an investigation of preparation for and response to last month's oil spill in San Francisco Bay," according to CBS 5. In a wordy missive to Inspector General Skinner, she fired off over a dozen issues she wants taken care of right-quick. A couple of points she needs to...

Earlier this month we mentioned that The Decemberists' five-night engagement at the Fillmore was canceled. It was going to be the highlight of our week, but we guess tofurkey will just have to do. This week, our picks are Travis who are playing with Maximo Park at the Fillmore tomorrow night. Friday night at the Fillmore, The Drones (listen to "Shark Fin Blues" here) are opening for Band of Horses, an indie-rock band based...

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2007 Recap from Super!Alright! on Vimeo.

Photo of a San Francisco leopard shark

Photo and discussion of new reusable plastic shopping bags offered for sale at local stores

We've been talking so much about the Chronicle and the SF Weekly lately that perhaps one of our best-known local pubs is feeling a bit ignored. Editor & Publisher Magazine has published a feature spotlighting "10 That Do It Right." E&P selects a new list every summer from the nation's daily and weekly newspapers. E&P says it's not a "Top 10" list, but rather "a hat tip to a variety of publications which have, through excellence or innovation, shown the way in one area or another, such as news coverage, circulation, design, diversity or online."

SFist Nick forwarded along an unintentionally-hilarious article by professional provocateur Christopher Hitchens from earlier this week in Slate. In this article, Hitchens mostly complains about Conrad Black, the Canadian press tycoon recently convicted of corporate fraud, but check out this kicker at the end!

We’re standing on a giant slab of landfill in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Every residence in sight is a boxy triplex, and most of the cars appear to be about 15 years past their prime. Come to think of it, the block itself appears to be about 15 years past its prime. If it weren’t for the bay breezes and gulls aplenty, we could be cajoled into thinking we’re poking around the crusty outskirts of Stockton. But no, we’re much closer to home than that. We’re visiting San Francisco’s most marginalized subculture: Treasure Island.

Who knew that one of the five islands in San Francisco Bay was privately owned? Even stranger, "Red Rock Island" is now up for sale, for a paltry $10 million. The last time we remember one of our islands changing hands was way back in 1847, when Captain John C Fremont bought Alcatraz for $5000. Fremont was in town, as you no doubt remember, as the head of a surveying expedition. A man of...

--Here's today's mini-blotter: a family murder-suicide in Tilden Park; Man hit by a BART train at Balboa Park in the late morning today; a guy drove off the side of Mount Tam [Inside Bay Area, the EBX 92510, the Chron; CBS 5; Marin IJ].