Unified Command to transfer authority from the Coast Guard to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Smith Canal in Stockton, Calif.

10/04/2024 05:03 PM EDT

The Coast Guard has completed its cleanup operations in the Smith Canal oil spill and is now transferring federal responsibility to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead the remaining recovery efforts. The Coast Guard’s on-water petroleum removal operations began September 28 with the report of an oil burner being improperly disposed of in the Smith Canal with a potential of 380 gallons of petroleum product released into the environment.