SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS/AP) - At first, Bay Area residents breathed a sigh of relief as it was reported that the Bay Bridge was unharmed when a cargo ship slammed into one of its supports on November 7th. But then reports came in that the container ship Cosco Busan had spilled 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the bay.
The shallow bay's swift currents quickly pulled the contamination through the Golden Gate and into the Pacific Ocean, causing dark smudges atop the ocean last week. Miles of coastline have been fouled, and hundreds of oil-coated birds have died.
Volunteers appeared by the hundreds hoping to help save the Bay’s eco-system, and rehabilitate birds, but many were turned away, because they were untrained to deal with the toxic oil.
Weeks later area beaches eventually started to re-open, as much of the oil was cleaned up, or sunk to the bottom of the Bay. Ecologists say the effects of the spill will continue for years to come.
Ship Pilot in Oil Spill Charged (12/7)
Photo Gallery of Oil Recovery Efforts (11/27/07)
Raw Video: Oil Recovery North of Rodeo Beach (11/27/07)
Map of Areas Closed to Fishing
Track the Path of the Cosco Busan Hitting the Bay Bridge
Photo gallery of the oil spill
KCBS Forum: How do you view the Coast Guard’s response to the spill?
View the Oil Spill Operations Map
Volunteer to help clean up the spill
Video on Demand
Pelosi Visits Spill Damage in San Francisco (11/12)
Oil Spill: Clean-Up Efforts Moving On-Shore (11/12)
Bay Spill Threatens Birds, Crab Season (11/12)
KCBS Audio on Demand
Sen. Boxer holds Commerce Committee hearing into oil spill - Part 1 (11/14; 64:28)
Sen. Boxer holds Commerce Committee hearing into oil spill - Part 2 (11/14; 38:07)
NTSB and Coast Guard briefing on oil spill investigation. (11/14; 43:35)
Coast Guard Petty Officer Sherry Eng gives updates on the oil spill clean-up. (11/14; 3:36)
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland), with the House subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, discusses the SF Bay oil spill. (11/14; 5:16)
Coast Guard News Briefing on Oil Spill Clean up and Recovery (11/12; 12:18)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Barbara Boxer, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom, members of the Bay Area Congressional Delegation, and other officials speak. (11/12; 40:36)
Assemblywoman Loni Hancock is calling for a hearing this week to discuss oil spill cleanup efforts. (11/10; 6:01)
National Transportation Safety Board addresses the bay oil spill. (11/11; 16:03)
Elizabeth Murdock with the Golden Gate Audubon Society (11/10; 4:44)
An update on the spilled oil in the San Francisco Bay. (11/9; 28:45)
Dr. Gerald Graham, a Canadian-based oil spill clean-up expert, describes the exhausting process. (11/9; 4:09)
KCBS' Margie Shafer discusses her tour of the bay with the Coast Guard following the massive oil spill. (11/8; 2:42)
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:
To volunteer -- 800-228-4544
To report new oil sightings -- 415-398-9617
To report oiled wildlife – 415-701-2311
To file insurance claims – 866-442-9650
Health Warning
Although the overall health effects of the spill are likely to be negligible, people should stay away from the shore and take the following precautions:
OIL IN TRASH: Do not place oil from the Cosco Busan oil spill in trash receptacles. Well-intentioned members of the public have been cleaning up oiled beaches and placing the oil and oily rags and adding them into trash. Do not attempt to collect the oil, since it needs to be disposed of properly to prevent broader contamination and re-introduction to the environment. If you have collected oil, it should NOT be added to regular trash, as this may negatively impact the environment. Oil and trash containing oil (such as rags or paper towels) should be double bagged, labeled as oily waste, and call 415-398-9617 to have it picked up.
The most recent information about the clean-up is as follows: (12/7/07)
Total personnel employed: 440
Total gallons discharged: Approximately 58,000
Total birds captured: 1,063
Total birds cleaned: 783
Total birds released: 347
Total birds died in facility: 618
Total birds dead on arrival: 1,759
Remaining feet of boom laid out: 1,800
Total cubic yards of oily solid recovered: 4,338 (cumulative)
The latest over flight shows very little recoverable oil offshore and inshore. Cleanup efforts are transitioning from water recovery to shoreline environmentally sensitive areas.
For a list of closed beaches, refer to www.uscgsanfrancisco.com. A list of beaches where the public can assist in cleanup efforts without hazardous material training can also be found at www.uscgsanfrancisco.com. A coordinator will be on-site to provide direction to the volunteers. Any volunteer who finds oiled material must report it to the coordinator on site.
Other Resources:
GGNRA Oil Spill Information
How the oil spill is affecting Berkeley
East Bay Regional Park Spill Update
United States Coast Guard
Oiled Wildlife Care Network
Baykeeper
Save the Bay
California Coastal Commission
(RdD/clo/cck)
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