Tank Barge Bouchard #120

Source of pollution: 
tanker
Animals affected
Total number of oiled birds counted: 
499
Number of live oiled birds counted: 
184
85% of the Massachusetts population of endangered piping plovers were oiled. Hatch rate for piping plover eggs was 50% lower than normal.
Shellfish populations in the area were not completely recovered and some shellfishing areas remained closed due to contaminant levels 10 years after the spill.
Species affected: 
loons,cormorants, ducks, common and roseate terns, piping plover
Number of birds released: 
20

The Tank Barge Bouchard #120 struck rocks after passing the wrong side of a navigational marker on its way through Buzzards Bay to the power station in the Cape Cod Canal.

Amount and type of oiled spilled: 
15,000 gallons of Number 6 fuel oil
Wildlife Response: 

Hazing was attempted at Ram Island where common and roseate terns were returning to nest. 50% of the US population of roseate terns breeds on the islands of Buzzards Bay. After a time the birds became conditioned to the noise, making the hazing less effective.

A temporary wash facility was set up near the site but only a small number of birds were released.

Sources: 

Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program