I am the captain of a tour boat.
I was passing the east side of Akatraz Island (ALC) about 75-100 feet off shore heading from north to south at 1705.
About three-fourths down this side of the Island is a dock building that houses restrooms at the north end.
On the waterside, near to south and is a staff restoom and equipment storage room. I observed a man walking smartly (hurriedly) to the opened door to this room. He was taking animatedty to another man just inside the door.
Both men started waking hurriedly across the concrete dock area to the location of the two sewage storage tanks on Ow south side of the original fort/bachelors' officers quarters.
This got my attention. I observed a water pattern in the shape of a fan or spider web on the concrete dock area coming from the area of the sewage storage tanks. It was not solidly covering the concrete. It extended about 100 feet. I estimate the amount of liquid soled from the tank(a) to be approximately 50 gallons.
There was another man waking on the top of one of the tanks. These tanks hold sewage that is pumped from the port-oIotfies at the top of the Island and from the restroorns located in the dock area.
The sewage is then pumped to vessel(s) for transportation ashore. I notified the regional director of my union, the Inlandboatmens Union of the Pacific (IBU) and my immediate supervisor, the port captain, of this spill. It is the policy of my compaury that off sills of any kind be reported to the port captain. The port captain will then make the appropriate notification.
When I observed the apparent sewage spill on ALC, I was on my last run of the day. I did not pass ALC again until the next morning (October 14, 2006). I noticed nothing unusual at that time.
(N. B. i have been working on San Francisco Bay as a captain of various vessels for several companies since 1985, when I retired from the U. S. Coast Guard as a captain. I hold a Coast Guard unlimited master mariners license (any ocean/any tonnage) issue #6 with first class pilotage and radar observer endorsements. For ten years starting in 1987, I worked as a captain for a previous contractor who provided ferry service to ALC.
I have made thousands of landings at ALC in the past. The waterfront community is very small. It is the utmost importance that my identity be protected for fear of retribution arrdlor reprisal from the company a person(s) responsible for this spill and my employer.)
A representative of my union's reginal director suggested that I file this complaint.
--Name withheld by request
