Oct 31, 2009 7:37 pm US/Pacific
Crews Scoop Up Oil In SF Bay, Find Slicked Birds
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ―
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A protective boom appears next to the Dubai Star in San Francisco Bay.
CBS
Crews working Saturday to clean up a fuel leak in San Francisco Bay just a day after an oil tanker spilled hundreds of gallons into the water said they found some oil washed ashore and spotted about a dozen oil-slicked birds.
U.S. Coast Guard officials said skimmer boats were scooping up shipping fuel Saturday from the Dubai Star, a Panamanian-flagged tanker, about 2.5 miles southeast of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
In all, the Coast Guard had dispatched and deployed 18 boats, Petty Officer Erik Swanson said. "They are either cleaning up directly around the vessel or conducting assessments on the beaches."
Using a new high-tech aerial process, authorities estimated between 400 and 800 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay — forming a sheen about 2 miles long and 200 yards wide — when the tanker's fuel line ruptured at 6:45 a.m. Friday during a fuel transfer.
About 53,000 feet of nonabsorbent barriers known as boom were deployed to contain the oil from Yerba Buena Island to the San Leandro Channel.
Meanwhile, a helicopter surveyed for environmental damage Saturday while wildlife crews searched the ground for affected wildlife.
Assessment teams reported tar balls had washed ashore at Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda, and some oil in nearby Ballena Bay, according to Swanson.
About a dozen oiled birds were spotted around Alameda, Swanson added, although he did not know the species of birds.
"At this time, that's all that we've seen so far. And we don't have any collected. They're still out on the water," said Carol Singleton with the California Department of Fish and Game. "The plan is to continue the reconnaissance and try to capture those so that we can take them to Fairfield where we have an oil well life care center."
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network, which was assisting with search and reconnaissance efforts, said anyone who spotted an affected animal should call (877) 823-6926 and not attempt to rescue them.
State Fish and Game officials suspended fishing along much of the Alameda County shoreline and also warned the public against consuming any fish or shellfish from the spill area until the water could be analyzed.
"Closure areas include the Alameda County Shoreline between the Bay Bridge and the San Mateo Bridge. And then also avoid fishing in any area where you see a visible sheen," Singleton said.
San Francisco city officials also advised people to avoid contact with water in the Bay.
Officials did note though that Friday's spill was much smaller than the
disastrous Cosco Busan spill of 2007. That 53,000-gallon spill caused about $70 million in damages to beaches, wildlife and the fishing industry.
(© 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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