Petaluma man at center of oil spill probe

<p>The San Francisco Bay navigation specialist at the center of last week’s ship collision and resulting oil spill, Petaluman John J. Cota, is cooperating with investigators, his attorney said.</p><p>A “bar pilot” who boards large ships to guide them through the bay, Cota, 59, was at the helm of the 900-foot Cosco Busan on the morning of Nov. 7 when the container ship collided with one of the Bay Bridge’s footings.</p><p>He told investigators from the National Transportation Board Monday that radar aboard the ship became “distorted” during a turn and he switched to using an electronic chart, according to a spokeswoman for the agency.</p><p>Cota — the husband of Petaluma City Councilmember Teresa Barrett — and his attorney John Meadows did not return calls for comment.</p><p>But Meadows told the Associated Press that Cota immediately reported the collision and assumed it was minor because the impact was hardly felt aboard the ship.</p><p>The collision tore a 90-foot gash in the hull of the ship, from which an estimated 58,000 gallons spilled into the bay. The U.S. Coast Guard has come under fire for initially underreporting the size of the spill.</p><p>In the past week, oil from the spill has washed up on beaches as far north as Point Reyes, and has killed or injured hundreds of birds.</p><p>So far, no oil has been spotted in San Pablo Bay or the Petaluma River, which is a tidal slough of the bay, nonprofit group Friends of the Petaluma River reported.</p><p>As of Monday, the northernmost point where oil was spotted inside the bay was at the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, said “Friends” board member Andy Rodgers.</p><p>“We’re definitely keeping our eyes out,” he said.</p><p>Petaluma Mayor Pamela Torliatt, a friend of Cota’s, said the experienced bar pilot and environmentalist will certainly want to get to the bottom of why the collision happened just as much as investigators.</p><p>“John’s been doing this for 26 years,” Torliatt said. “He’s done this hundreds of times. Just knowing him personally, he’s going to do everything that he can to make sure that the investigation is unimpeded and that he is available.”</p><p>As a member of the San Francisco Bar Pilots, Cota is one of 60 pilots called upon to navigate in and out of bay waters. The job, which requires boarding towering vessels from a ladder hanging over the side, is considered dangerous, but also pays well — an average of almost $492,000, the Contra Costa Times reported.</p><p>Earlier this year, another Petaluma bar pilot, Tom Miller, successfully navigated the cruise ship Queen Mary II into the bay.</p><p>(Contact Corey Young at corey.young@arguscourier.com)</p>