A coastal spill of 8,000 gallons is classified as which discharge?

• A. Major discharge coastal
• B. Moderate discharge coastal
• C. Minor discharge coastal
• D. Not classified

Answer: (C)

Spill classifications for coastal discharges are based on how much product is released and the response level that volume requires. The idea is to scale the effort from local containment to large, coordinated actions.

Eight thousand gallons is large enough to need some containment and cleanup, but it does not meet the higher thresholds that would push it into the moderate or major categories. In this system, such a volume falls at the lower end of the spectrum, so it’s labeled a minor coastal discharge. The coastal designation simply means the spill occurred near shore or on a shoreline, and the volume determines the category and corresponding response. Thus, a coastal spill of 8,000 gallons is considered minor.