On November 7, 2007, while sailing in very heavy fog, the Cosco Busan container ship bound for South Korea hit the protective bumper around the second tower of the Bay Bridge west of Yerba Buena Island. The Cosco Busan sustained a gash on its port side 160 feet long and 4 feet deep. Fuel spilled for thirty minutes following the collision and resulted in 58,000 gallons of fuel oil polluting the Bay.

Despite the fact that crews on the scene could see oil gushing out of the crippled ship, containment operations did not begin for two hours after the accident, and the Coast Guard did not alert other agencies or the public of the magnitude of the spill until over twelve hours later.

Three days later the bay shore and surrounding beaches on the Pacific are lined with globs of thick fuel oil tar, caution tape and "Oil Spill" warning signs to keep people out of the disaster area.