Response Lessons from the Cosco Busan Oil Spill

Underestimated spill volume, poor visibility, and confusion were only some of the challenges Barry McFarland faced when he became Incident Commander in San Fransisco after the MV COSCO BUSAN collided with the Bay Bridge. When it comes to putting early response to the test, credibility is your number one tool. Six months of built-up trust can disappear in just a few response hours by releasing misleading information. The Captain of the Port found this out the hard way on day seven of this event when he was relieved as Federal On-Scene Coordinator because of a lack of confidence.