Oil mess

How did this happen?

When Bay Area residents went to bed Wednesday night, they understood that only 140 gallons of fuel oil had spilled when a container ship collided with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge earlier in the day. By the next morning, the spill had become 58,000 gallons, and residents were soon hearing reports of widespread beach closures and birds coated with oil.

By midday Thursday, slicks had made their way to the Marin Headlands and along the shore of Richardson Bay. As Staff Writer Bob Norberg reported, oil also was spotted near Angel Island, Treasure Island, Alcatraz and Crissy Field and just outside of the Golden Gate. Slicks also were reported by the shores of Belvedere, Mill Valley and Tiburon.

The priority for the moment is focusing on the cleanup and applying all resources available to limiting the damage of this spill. (To report oil sightings call the Coast Guard at (985) 781-0804. To report oiled wildlife, call (877) 823-6926.)

At the same time, we're perplexed as to how the magnitude of this spill could be so under-reported from the beginning. How did this story evolve from a ship "bumping" the Bay Bridge in the morning fog to what may be the worst spill in the Bay Area in more than a decade?

It appears valuable cleanup time may have been lost because of the failure by someone to recognize the severity of this accident -- and the potential for extensive environmental damage.

Given modern guidance systems, how does a ship collide with the Bay Bridge in the first place? Fog is not a unique occurrence in these parts, and we're pretty certain that the base of that Bay Bridge tower has not moved in some time.

The U.S. Coast Guard says that the initial estimate of 140 gallons came from the owners of the ship, the Cosco Busan. But after checking, the Coast Guard discovered that the amount of oil spilled was more significant.

All of this mandates a thorough investigation. While the extent of the damage is now all too visible, the public remains in the fog.