Over 4,000 pounds of diesel, waste removed from abandoned boat near St. Petersburg

BOCA CIEGA BAY — Over 4,000 pounds of diesel and waste were removed from an abandoned boat near St. Petersburg.

On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard said crews responded to a sunken boat that was leaking diesel off the coast of Boca Ciega Bay, a city 10 miles west of St. Petersburg.

The federal government took control of the spill response and used the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to cover the costs, according to the news release.

Response crews then came in to contain and clean the spill. The process took three days to complete.

By Wednesday, crews managed to remove around 130 gallons of diesel from the boat and approximately 4,000 lbs. of waste — specifically diesel-contaminated absorbent material — from the water.