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June 24th, 2009
Novatans respond to oil spill
By Valerie Creque & Tim Omarzu
Novato Advance
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 2:11 PM PST
Novatan Maggie Rufo spent Sunday scooping up oil-soaked birds with a group of friends she nicknamed the “Richmond Renegades.”
Armed with long-handled fishing nets and garbed in official-looking, white, polyethelene jumpsuits, the bird lovers roamed the Richmond shoreline, catching oiled birds that they put into cardboard pet carriers and took to an ad hoc bird rescue station nearby. They didn’t heed official warnings to let officials handle the bird-collecting.
“There was no official response in (the Richmond) area. We’re all basically renegade volunteers,” said Rufo, who, like her Richmond Renegade friends, has previous wildlife rescue experience. “It’s just really sad that people have to do this almost illegally.”
Although oil didn’t reach Novato’s shoreline, Rufo and other Novato residents and agencies took part in the response to the Nov. 7 spill of fuel oil that gushed from the Cosco Busan after the container ship slammed into one of the towers that support the Bay Bridge during heavy fog.
Animal control officers with the Novato-based Marin Humane Society transported almost 200 oil-soaked birds, said Humane Society spokeswoman Sheri Cardo.
“We’ve been working at this 24/7,” Cardo said.
People were dropping off birds at the Humane Society’s headquarter on Bel Marin Keys Boulevard and dropping them off at seven staging areas around the county. Animal control officers delivered the birds to the WildCare wildlife rehabilitation center in downtown San Rafael.
There, the birds were weighed and inspected for injuries before being transferred to the International Bird Research and Rescue Center in Cordelia, just south of Fairfield, which is capable of treating 1,000 animals.
“They’re coming from all over the county,” Cardo said. “Sadly, a lot of them were dead on arrival.”
The oil spill had Novato police and firefighters contemplating “what-ifs,” in case the fuel reached Novato. Emergency officials participated in conference calls with officials from the Marin County Emergency Operations Center and kept a watchful eye as the fuel drifted north, passing the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge.
The Marin County Hazardous Materials Team, which includes members from agencies throughout the county, is ready for action.
“They’ve been briefed and they know what to expect,” said Novato fire spokeswoman Sandy Wargo.
The team will be on hand not only for beach cleanup, but also for people who have come in contact with the oil.
A person can’t just wash off in the shower,” Wargo said, adding that the oil will go down the drain, causing further contamination. “It’s not just oil, it’s contaminants.”
Aerial and water exploration conducted Tuesday revealed that most of the oil has now dissipated, according to the Office of Emergency Services, and the only sheen of oil observed within Marin County waters was found in Racoon Strait between Angel Island and Tiburon.
Oil from the spill has been reported in other areas of Marin County.
“They’ve seen some residue of oil and tar balls on Stinson Beach,” said Bruce Stahley, Marin County’s emergency services coordinator.
Stahley said some residents in the Bolinas and Stinson Beach area used their own boats to help with the cleanup effort.
They were out there trying to distribute that booming material,” Stahley said.
A strike team of about eight people from the Hamilton-based U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is on scene assisting with the bay cleanup, according to Richard Celia, vice flotilla commander.
“It’s bad, but it’s not catastrophic,” Celia said of the spill.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 12,270 gallons of liquid oil have been recovered and a total of 16,910 gallons have been accounted for, according to the Office of Emergency Services.
More than 1,500 people across the Bay Area are participating in the spill response, including more than 450 responders in Marin County, the emergency services office reported.
According to Stahley, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at the Cordelia bird treatment facility reported that 652 live birds and 485 dead birds have been received in their facilities.
The public is strongly advised against disturbing oiled wildlife or attempting to remove oiled materials. To report oiled wildlife, call (415) 701-2311 or (877) 823-6926. To report oil sightings, call (985) 781-0804. For information about volunteering, visit www.californiavolunteers.org.
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KW wrote on Nov 20, 2007 10:38 AM: