On Wednesday, around 8:30 a.m., a ship hit the San Francisco bay bridge and leaked heavy Bunker fuel oil, essentially a waste product from refining gasoline that is used as fuel in ships. It is very heavy, thick. sticky, and full of toxics. The toxics include PNH's, benzene, and heavy metals. Wednesday news stories were calm—only 140 gallons had spilled. No reason to get alarmed. Move along folks.
In fact, 58,000 gallons spilled. The Coast Guard, EPA, California Fish and Game, etc. all say that they knew nothing about the spill being worse than 140 gallons until 4 p.m. By then it was getting dark. They did not tell the public until after 9 p.m.
Yesterday, the impact was being felt. Oil has spread throughout much of the bay and up and down the coast, fouling beaches, coating thousands of birds, and surely poisoning many fish. This is bird migration time and birds are just arriving from the north. many thousands are here. It is also the time salmon head into the bay to spawn upriver. I learned this morning that oil-soaked birds are even being found at the Farallon Islands, a wildlife preserve some 30 miles off-shore. Wildlife people say that most of the oiled birds will not be found for days, as most are on the water. The oil covers the bird and it loses its insulation. It then preens and puts the oil in its digestive system, making it sick and unable to eat.
Here are some photos. http://www.sfgate.com/...
The disaster is shocking. But so is the slow response. Why was there no prompt containment? Why wasn't mitigation started immediately? Why weren't government agencies and wildlife groups told immediately so they could, if nothing else, set up and get ready?
Here are some links:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...
http://www.knbc.com/...
http://sfist.com/...
If you can do anything to help, please do so. Here is a link for information on how you can help. If nothing else, send them some cash. http://www.baykeeper.org/