NEW YORK - Federal and State agencies consisting of members from the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, National Parks Service and New Jersey Office of Emergency Management continue their unified response to a sheen in Sandy Hook Bay. Previous reports that it was a four-mile oil slick are inaccurate. There is no known environmental or public health impact at this time.
At approximately 2:24 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard Sector New York watchstanders received the report of an unknown sheen from an unknown source in Sandy Hook Bay.
Station Sandy Hook launched a 47-foot Motor Life Boat. Once on scene the boatcrew members confirmed the report that there was a sheen that stretched approximately 300 yards wide and two miles in length.
Horse Shoe Cove was deemed the only sensitive area that could potentially be impacted by the sheen.
Members of Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the National Park Service deployed approximately 70-feet of hard boom near the environmentally sensitive area as a precaution.
As of 11 a.m., the morning overflight of the area found a reduced sheen of 50 yards by 1 mile. The color of the sheen has changed to silver metallic and is no longer rainbow colored. The sheen is non-recoverable.
Responders are working to determine the source of the sheen.
Any persons sighting pollution should contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.