California beach shut down after 58-foot boat runs aground — spilling toxic chemicals

North Beach in San Francisco was temporarily shut down Saturday after a 58-foot fishing boat carrying roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel ran aground at Point Reyes National Seashore, officials said.

The fishing vessel ran aground Friday morning, prompting a multi-agency response as crews worked to remove its potentially hazardous cargo.

The boat can hold up to 2,800 gallons of fuel and was believed to have about 1,000 gallons of diesel onboard when it grounded.

A unified command involving the US Coast Guard and National Park Service was established to handle the response, with help from Marin County Fire, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.

Officials are working with the vessel’s responsible party and a contracted salvage company to safely remove the fuel.

Visitors were asked to stay away from North Beach during the temporary closure while crews carried out the operation.

So far, there have been no reported injuries, active fuel leaks or impacts to wildlife, according to the Coast Guard.

“Our top priorities are ensuring the safety of the first responders and the public, stabilizing the incident, and limiting environmental impacts,” Coast Guard incident commander Lt. Cmdr. Carey Lewis said.

“Responders are continuously monitoring and evaluating the site for pollution and any potential risk factors so we can approach operations with intention to minimize environmental impacts.”

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The cause of the grounding remains under investigation.