Apex Houston

Summary

• LOCATION: Offshore Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties.
• DATE: January 28, 1986 to February 4, 1986
• INCIDENT SUMMARY: The tank barge Apex Houston lost a hatch cover while being towed from the Shell Oil refinery in Martinez to Long Beach, spilling an estimated 25,800 gallons of crude oil.
• RESPONSIBLE PARTY: E.A. Viner International Co., Inc.
• NATURAL RESOURCE TRUSTEES: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Fish and WildlifeService, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• RESOURCES IMPACTED: Birds (8,978 estimated killed, including 6,287 Common Murres)
• SETTLEMENT DETAILS: The trustees settled the case for $5.4 million. $4.9 million was allocated to Common Murre recolonization, while $500,000 was allocated to acquisition of old growth redwoods for protection of Marbled Murrelets.
• STATUS OF RESTORATION: Restoration projects completed.

Available Documents

• Trustee Council Final Report, March 2011 (PDF)
• Final Restoration Plan (PDF)

Restoration Project Monitoring Reports

• Marbled Murrelet Habitat Protection in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Gazos Mountain Camp)
  • 2004 Final Report MAMU Radar Surveys (PDF)
  • 2006 FinalReport MAMU Radar Surveys (PDF)
  • 2008 Final Report MAMU Radar Surveys (PDF)
  • 2009 Final Report MAMU Radar Survey (PDF)
  • 2010 Final Report MAMU Radar Surveys - Part 1 (PDF)
  • 2010 Final Report MAMU Radar Surveys - Part 2 (PDF)
  • 2007 Final Report MAMU Audio/Visual Surveys (PDF)
  • 2011 Final Report MAMU Audio/Visual Surveys (PDF)
• Common Murre Restoration at Devil's Slide Rock
  • 1996 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 1997 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 1998 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 1999 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2000 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2001 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2002 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2003 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2004 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2005 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2006 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2007 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2008 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2009 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • 2010 Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (PDF)
  • Final Report Devil's Slide Murre Colony (whole project; all years) (PDF)

External Links

• USFWS Site - Common Murre Restoration Program
• NOAA Administrative Record

Contact

Michael Anderson
Michael.Anderson@wildlife.ca.gov
(916) 375-6672