The barge Morris J. Berman grounded off Punta Escambron, San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 7, 1994. The barge spilled approximately 800,000 gallons of #6 oil on the reef.[1]
The responsible party initially assumed responsibility for the spill, but very quickly expended the ten million dollar limit of their insurance policy. Full federal funding of the spill occurred at 0600 on January 14 and it became a United States Coast Guard (USCG) directed response. The USCG Gulf Strike Team (GST) was brought on scene and immediately began lightering operations for the barge.[2]
The vessel was cleaned out and taken to deep water where it was intentionally sunk under government supervision.[1] Cost of cleanup about $130,000,000.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the United States of America, along with several other parties, sued the owners of the vessels for recovery of clean up costs, natural resource damages, and third party costs. Also involved were a number of clean up contractors, spill response managers, and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and other governmental regulatory bodies.
Criminal prosecutions resulted from issues of crew negligence and the management knowingly sending a vessel to sea in an unseaworthy condition. Caribbean Petroleum owned the cargo that spilled from the Morris J. Berman. The Berman Case was settled on January 19th, 2001. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the United States of America have settled their claims against Metlife Capital Corp, Water Quality Insurance Syndicate and Caribbean Petroleum Corporation, among others, in the amount $83.5 million. Water Quality Insurance Syndicate paid $5 million, Metlife Capital Corp paid $62 million and Caribbean Petroleum Corporation paid $16.5 million.[1]