Nov 1, 2009 10:45 pm US/Pacific
More Oiled Wildlife Found After SF Bay Spill
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
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The oil tanker Dubai Star in San Francisco Bay Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, which leaked fuel, creating a slick at least a mile long.
CBS
At least 11 birds have died as a result of an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay on Friday and dozens more could wind up dead because of the spill, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.
The vessel involved in the oil spill, the Dubai Star, was moved to San Francisco's Pier 80 Sunday afternoon from its location about two miles south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge where the spill occurred.
Early Friday morning, the Panamanian-flagged tanker reported a spill during a fueling operation. The vessel's transfer system equipment had a mechanical failure while conducting bunkering operations with a fuel barge, according to the Coast Guard.
Between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay, forming oil sheen about 2 miles long and about 200 yards wide.
The California Department of Fish and Game recovered 30 live birds that were impacted by the spill, but one of the birds died after being recovered. At least 10 other oiled birds have been found dead, according to the Coast Guard.
State officials anticipate the incident will eventually result in the death of several dozen birds.
The birds that survived the spill have been transferred to the Wildlife Care and Education Center in Fairfield.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is assisting with the search for impacted animals. Anyone who spots an oiled animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue it.
Around the Bay, crews responding to the spill have laid down a total of 42,000 feet of boom, a sponge-like material used to soak up the toxic substance.
Crews have confirmed that the spill has impacted shorelines at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda, as well as at Ballena Bay and Bay Farm Island.
About 80 percent of the cleanup efforts at Robert Crown Memorial State Beach were complete as of this evening, according to the Coast Guard.
The Alameda Estuary is also an area of focus due to its environmental sensitivity and economic importance to shipping operations in the Bay Area.
The California Department of Fish and Game has suspended fishing and shellfish harvesting. The precautionary suspension affects the Alameda County shoreline between the Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
It was not clear how long the active cleanup will take, but Fish and Game spokeswoman Carol Singleton said overall cleanup efforts, including removing tar balls from beaches, could last about a week.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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