[EBB Sightings] Responding to the Oil Spill - Info about volunteering from the Ecology Center

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ecology Center" 
To: "Ecology Center" 
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 2:35 PM
Subject: Responding to the Oil Spill


Dear Ecology Center Members and Friends:

Many of you have probably heard about the oil spill in the Bay, or even
seen it firsthand. We've received some calls from members and the
public asking what they can do to help the cleanup effort, so we're
passing along some background info and updates from Baykeeper.

The short answer to all those who want to help is that the
organizations handling the cleanup have plenty of volunteer help. They
are generally cautioning members of the public against contact with
affected terrain or wildlife. Baykeeper is requesting that the public
sign up on http://www.baykeeper.org/ to be contacted when there is
further need for public involvement, and Save the Bay is taking
donations to support the cleanup effort. Also included below are some
phone numbers to call if you see oiled wildlife or oil slicks.

To sign up to be contacted when Baykeeper needs more public help:
http://www.baykeeper.org/news/oilspill.html

To donate to Save the Bay: http://www.savesfbay.org and click "Donate
Now." Contact Adrien Andre to designate your donation toward the oil
spill cleanup, at (510) 452-9261 x124 or adrien at savesfbay.org

Updates and further info: http://www.owcn.org

To report oiled birds: (877) 823-6926
To report oil slicks: (800) OILS-911



 From Bay Keeper on 11/9/07:

Thank you for your support in response to Wednesday's oil spill. We
appreciate the outpouring of offers to help and we'll keep you updated
on opportunities as they arise. It'll take all of us working together
to clean up our precious Bay after this oil spill's destructive wake.

While we are heartened by the overwhelming interest in getting involved
in a clean up, a word of caution: chemicals in oil can impair breathing
and may lead to long-term health affects. If you are not properly
trained in oil spill clean up and rescue, please stay away from
polluted beaches and stay out of the water to keep yourself and your
families safe.

As of Friday evening, the first opportunity to volunteer is for
those interested in attending a public workshop. The Department of Fish
and Game?s Office of Spill Prevention and Response is holding the
following informational wildlife care trainings.

November 10, 9:30 - 11:30 AM
   Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
   99 Grove Street, San Francisco
   (415) 974-4060

November 10, 1:30 - 3:30 PM
   Harbor Master Richmond Marina
   1340 Marina Way South, Richmond
   (510) 236-1013

November 10, 5-7 PM
   Headlands Institute
   Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Building 1033, Sausalito
   (415) 332-5771

   Additional volunteer opportunities will likely emerge in the upcoming
days and weeks. We will let you know as soon as we have further
information from our partners including the Oiled Wildlife Care
Network. Consider forwarding this message to your friends and ask them
to sign up on our website to show their support. You can also help out
by making a donation to sustain Baykeeper's work to hold the
responsible parties accountable in cleaning up this spill. Your
contributions will help us respond to this crisis.



 From Bay Keeper on 11/8/07:

On November 7, 2007, a large container ship ran into a tower of the Bay
Bridge, rupturing the ship's fuel tank and creating the largest oil
spill from a vessel into the Bay in over a decade. Despite initial
corporate reports of 140 gallons spilled, around 60,000 gallons of fuel
entered the Bay before containment efforts were begun by the Coast
Guard.

San Francisco Baykeeper is a member of the California Department of
Fish and Game's Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) Task
Force, which is charged with responding to oil spills for the State.
Baykeeper is investigating why the Coast Guard's response failed to
contain the spill and why the spill was not immediately reported to
OSPR as required.

Tarballs, a sticky petroleum emulsion, have already started to appear
on local beaches and more than 100 oiled animals have been reported so
far. Initial reports suggest that the spill slick has reached Angel and
Alcatraz Islands and all the way outside the Golden Gate at Point
Bonita. Most area beaches and recreational areas have been closed.

Baykeeper will continue to work with local agencies to investigate the
spread of the spill and to organize a response. You can help San
Francisco Baykeeper and other groups by reporting birds and animals
that have been covered in oil. If you want to get involved in cleaning
up oiled beaches and wildlife call 1-800-KEEP BAY (Ext. 109) or email
sara at baykeeper.org.

If you find an injured bird, call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at
1-877-823-6926 and alert Baykeeper at 1-800-KEEP-BAY.

Do not approach injured animals or attempt to clean them. Avoid contact
with fuel slicks and tarballs and avoid contact with the water for the
next few days.

http://www.baykeeper.org/