Tarballs 98; Bodega Bay, CA

Bodega Bay, CA | 1998-Jan-21

Initial Notification: At about 1450, Saturday, 17 January, MSO San Francisco was notified of stranding tarballs and oiled wildlife on the beaches of Drakes Estero. Teams found tarballs, oiled vegetation and scattered tar patties along the beach at the water line. Wildlife teams began collecting oiled live and dead birds. A Unified Command was established and the Coast Guard hired cleanup contractors to remove the oiled debris. To date, about 120 lbs of tar and solid waste has been collected. Several overflights have been conducted and no floating oil has been found. Assessments of other Point Reyes area beaches have been made and no new oiling was found. As of yesterday, a total of 64 oiled birds have been collected for cleaning and 115 have been found dead. Rescue efforts will continue as impacts to wildlife remain and further assessment are planned. USCG district 11.