Sinking and oil spill awakens public and Congress
On December 15, 1976, the oil tanker Argo Merchant grounded on Middle Rip Shoal in international waters approximately 25 nautical miles southeast of Nantucket Island. The tanker was en route from Venezuela to Boston carrying 7.7 million gallons of No. 6 fuel oil. Investigation subsequently revealed that the ship, which was 24 miles off its intended track when it grounded, had a broken gyrocompass, inadequate charts, and an inaccurate radio-direction finder (RDF). Three US Coast Guard cutters arrived on scene to attempt an offload of cargo, but this was prevented by bad weather. Utilizing for the first time its authority under the International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties, the US Government refused to grant permission for the jettisoning of cargo in an attempt to lighten the ship. On December 21, the Argo Merchant broke into two pieces, spilling all of its cargo and bunkers. The Coast Guard sank the bow of the ship with gunfire. The prevailing wind and current carried the oil offshore and away from rich fishing grounds nearby. The spill was the largest in US history to that date. Publicity surrounding the event generated concern among the public and members of Congress about the condition of tankers that were increasingly being used to import oil into the United States. Congress adopted the Port and Tanker Safety Act of 1978, giving the Coast Guard increased authority to inspect and regulate tank vessels, foreign and domestic, operating in US waters.