typically less than 100 gallons and average 30-40 gallons. This is 
certainly nothing compared to the Amazon Venture and her 800,000 gallon 
spill off Georgia in 1986, or compared to the problems the Port of 
Jacksonville has had with numerous recent large spills in excess of 
10,000 gallons. 
Tampa Bay does, however, experience many small spills into open 
waters which are commonly known as "mystery spills" (usually occurring at 
night, away from lay berths, and not traceable). These incidents usually 
involve the intentional pumping of bilge slops and are the most difficult 
to deal with because they almost always end up onshore with disastrous 
results. In these cases, cleanups are difficult and costly (not to 
mention the cost to the environment). 
Dockside accidental spills are much more common than accidental 
open water spills and occur most of the time through human error, 
predominantly involving a failure to connect and disconnect hoses 
properly (Figure 6). When a spill does occur, cleanup can be effected 
fairly easily by booming off the site and using absorbent pads and 
snorkel trucks to pick up the residual. All Florida ports are now 
empowered under Florida State law (Chapter 16B-16.04, Florida 
Administrative Code) to have functional Discharge Cleanup Organizations, 
which are licensed by the Florida Department of Natural Resources, and 
which should be capable of containing and cleaning up all spills that 
occur in port. Most ports belong to cleanup cooperatives formed by the 
port authority and the port tenants, who in turn, hire professional 
third-party contractors, licensed and bonded by the State and Coast Guard 
to perform cleanup and disposal activities. 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that 
more than 5,000 vessel trips per year occur in and out of the ports on 
Tampa Bay (N0AA 1985). Shipping routes from Tampa Bay extend throughout 
the Gulf of Mexico and thence worldwide. As one might anticipate, there 
are attendant petroleum discharges all along these routes. These 
discharges are defined as "operational" discharges to be polite, but they 
are really intentional (usually involving bilge pumping and tank 
cleaning). These routine, intentional discharges contribute 30 times 
more oil than all the accidental spills combined for the entire Gulf of 
Mexico (NOAA 1985). Worldwide this practice amounts to 571 million 
gallons annually. Until recently this was an accepted practice, but with 
the adoption of the new International MARPOL regulations (see Federal 
Register Vol. 50, No. 174:36768-36795), which now require shorebased rec¬ 
eption facilities to be available for the pumping of bilge slops, it is 
expected that these figures may be significantly reduced. 
Future Directions 
Probably the single most significant event to take place in recent 
years which will have a positive effect on port operations in Tampa Bay 
(and in other Florida ports, as well) is the newly passed Local 
Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act 
(Chapter 163, Florida Statutes; Chapter 9J-5, Florida Administrative 
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