A lawsuit filed Monday by City Attorney Dennis Herrera alleges that the owners of the Cosco Busan and ship pilot John Cota violated California law by sailing the boat under dangerous conditions. The suit also says they failed to respond quickly enough to prevent a spill when the ship struck a bridge tower.

Herrera, a former maritime lawyer, is seeking compensation for the city's cost of dealing with the spill, damages for the economic impact on local beaches, wildlife, fishing and tourism and penalties for the defendants' alleged violation of environmental protection laws.

"This was a wholly avoidable incident that has caused more injury to the San Francisco Bay Area than we can yet begin to fathom," said Herrera.

At least four other lawsuits have been filed against the ship's owners and operators.

Fishermen and fishing boat owners have filed two lawsuits in Superior Court and one in federal court for damage to their livelihood, while the U.S. government has sued in federal court over harm to navigable waters and federal beaches and marine sanctuaries.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor reports

Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Regal Stone, which owns the Cosco Busan, said the company would not comment on the case because of ongoing state and federal investigations into the 58,000-gallon spill.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday that Cota had not yet relinquished his federal Merchant Marine Officer's license, as the agency had requested. His state harbor pilot's license was suspended two weeks ago.

The Coast Guard asked Cota on Friday to voluntarily surrender the federal license, which is a prerequisite for receiving any state-issued license that would allow him to work as an officer on a commercial ship, said spokesman Dan Dewell. The action was taken because of questions about Cota's ``physical competence,'' Dewell said, declining to elaborate.

Cota was given until Tuesday to hand over his federal mariner's license. If he does not comply, the Coast Guard could ask a judge to suspend or revoke it, he said.

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