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On November 14, General Manager Pat O'Brien of the East Bay Regional Park District officially declared a District Emergency. In a statement sent to the California State Warning Center and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Sacramento, Pat O'Brien stated that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within this District, caused by an oil spill on San Francisco Bay. This proclamation sets in place the requirements for the District to qualify for financial assistance for expenses affiliated with the oil spill, in accordance with the California Disaster Assistance Act.
Meanwhile cleanup and rescue efforts continue throughout the 21 miles and six Regional Park locations affected by the Cosco Busan oil spill. Closures at this point include Eastshore State Park and Brooks Island Regional Preserve. Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline, Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park and Crown Beach Regional Shoreline are open, although water access and shorelines remain closed until clearance is issued by County and State officials. The Bay Trail, at Pt. Isabel Regional Shoreline, specifically between Hoffman Marsh and Meeker Slough, will be subject to intermittent closure as needed to allow for bird rescue and recovery.
Over 100 staff including biologists, environmental planners, shoreline managers, park rangers, police and fire personnel continue to perform assessments, coordinate inter-agency response efforts and rescue wildlife throughout the regional shoreline. Fifty of those District employees were trained in Hazardous Materials response by the Department of Fish and Game, with additional staff undergoing training next Tuesday. As of today trained District employees have rescued at least 150 live and recovered at least 50 dead birds.
Oiled beach cleanings have been conducted repeatedly at numerous shorelines including Brooks Island, Pt. Isabel, Emeryville Crescent/Radio Beach, Middle Harbor, Miller/Knox, and Eastshore State Park (Southside of Ashby/Frontage Road). Cleanup work at all oil impacted beaches is being performed by the Coast Guard and County designated contractors who specialize in hazardous materials removal of this kind, along with trained District staff.
Additionally, East Bay Conservation Corp and other volunteers are conducting preventative cleaning at non oiled beaches including Pt. Pinole, Crown Beach and Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline.
We encourage the public to visit the East Bay Regional Park District website at www.ebparks.org/oil_spill for updates. To report oiled wildlife or find out about volunteer events call the District's new oil spill hotline at (510) 544-2201.