Update from Senator Migden

Somehow I made the email list of Senator Migden, my state senator! Here's an alert she sent out today:

UPDATE ON THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY OIL SPILL # 2

Dear Friend:

In an effort to keep you current on clean-up activities related to last Wednesday's devastating 58,000 gallon bunker fuel spill into the San Francisco Bay, here is the second in a series of informational e-alerts:

Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order that bans both commercial and sport fishing in the San Francisco Bay from November 15^th through December 1^st or until it is determined by public health and wildlife officials that the Bay is ecologically safe to resume fishing.

Clean up actions continue to remove fuel from the San Francisco Bay. The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency for monitoring and cleaning up the spill. A Unified Command has been set up with the US Coast Guard, California Fish and Game’s Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response, and the O’Brien’s Group (contracted by the responsible party).

Here is the latest update on what is being done to clean-up the spill and to protect people, wildlife and the environment:

-7 miles of containment boom has been deployed to confine/collect oil in the water
-6 vessels are skimming/collecting oil on the water
-More than1,500 people are participating in spill response
-12,745 gallons of oil have been collected.
-580 gallons have dispersed naturally
-4,060 gallons of oil have evaporated (estimated)
-53 vessels are working to remediate the spill
-3 helicopters are surveying the area
-Oiled wildlife count - LIVE BIRDS – 715 (of those, 183 are washed, and 66 have died or been euthanized) -DECEASED BIRDS - 511

The latest overflight shows very little recoverable oil offshore and inshore. Cleanup efforts are transitioning from water recovery to shoreline environmentally sensitive areas.

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 and labeled as oily waste. PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S HAZARDOUS WASTE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE IT PICKED UP.

Beach Cleanup Status (from OES as of November 13, 2007)

(These percentages are of the gross amount of product recovered. Once this number reaches 100 percent, it does not guarantee the beach will open. The cleanup of the beaches needs to be certified by local, state, and federal authorities. Clean up of beaches is progressing with the following completion estimates.)

Marin County
Rodeo Beach – 60 percent
Muir Beach – 60 percent
Stinson Beach – 80 percent
Angel Island – 25 percent
RCA Beach – 25 percent
Agate – 25 percent

San Francisco
Fort Funston – 20 percent
Baker Beach – 85 percent
China Beach – 85 percent
Pier 1-39 – 100 percent

Closed Beaches

The Department of Public Health has determined that it is unsafe to swim in some locations and therefore has closed the following beaches:
Bay Area Beach Closures Nov. 13, 2007

• Clipper Cove Beach, T.I.
• Aquatic Park (Booms in place)
• SF Municipal Pier
• Ft. Point
• Baker Beach (Heavy Oil)
• China Beach (Light Oil)
• Ft. Baker
• Mile Rock Beach
• Kirby Cove (Heavy Oil)
• Rodeo Beach (Heavy Oil)
• Tennessee Valley
• Muir Beach (Heavy Oil)
• Angel Island (Heavy Oil)
• Keller Beach
• Ferry Point
• Point Isabel
• Baxter Creek to Lucretia Edwards Park
• Coastal Access point to Cliffside; Pt. Richmond
• Middle Harbor Regional Park
• Steep Ravine Beach (Mt. Tamalpais)
• Red Rock Beach (Mt. Tamalpais)
• Crissy Field Beach (booms in place)
• Stinson Beach
• Linda Mar Beach
• Rockaway Beach
• Sharp Park Beach
• Ocean Beach has an advisory posted
• San Francisco Piers 1-39 Booms in place

Air Quality

The Bay Area Air Quality Management Board is actively participating in safety monitoring and performing air sampling along port property.

Ferry Schedules

Ferry schedules have not been disrupted.

Reporting, Helping Oiled Animals

The public is asked to report any injured and/or oiled wildlife to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 877-823-6926. The network recommends that people DO NOT pick up or approach oiled animals.

To Volunteer: As of this morning, the OWCN has received over 1500 offers to help volunteer from the generous public. They are not currently taking more registrations. Please check this site regularly for status changes. People interested in volunteering should check the network website at www.owcn.org for updates on volunteer efforts. The site is updated constantly.

You can also call the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. Here's a note from the Audubon Director:
"We will love to have your help in a variety of ways in the coming days and
weeks. This will be a long process--don' t feel bad if you can't help
tomorrow--let us know when you can. We will need help documenting oiled
birds around the bay, talking with folks on beaches and bikepaths about how
to help, removing tar (after training!) from beaches, removing regular trash
from beaches before it can get contaminated.

I am working with our partners to create a training for the community for
oil clean up--we understand and share your frustration with not being able
to do more. We would like to train more of you to help. Check our website
in the coming days for news on this training. We hope to hold in within 10
days, at the Audubon Center.

Please encourage everyone to keep children and dogs off beaches--if we step
in the oil, we spread the contamination around.

Thanks for caring for this amazing ecosystem and all its inhabitants, so
central to our community."

Brooke Langston
Center Director
Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
415 388 2524 ext 109

Volunteer Opportunities
Here are additional organizations seeking volunteers:
Baykeeper: www.sfbaykeeper.org
Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary: www.tiburonaudubon.org/index.html
Important Contact Numbers

Oil sightings & claims number: 985-781-0804
Public Information Hotline & Media Inquires: 415-399-7305
If I can be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call my district office in San Francisco at 415-557-1300 or San Rafael at 415-479-6612.

Sincerely,

State Senator Carole Migden