Update 11-8-2007 (afternoon)

Here is an update on the Bay oil spill and what you can do. (More than 50,000 gallons of bunker fuel went loose in the Bay yesterday when a container ship hit the Bay Bridge west of Yerba Buena Island.)

The East Bay is less affected than many areas, but there are slicks and globules in Oakland and presumably Emeryville. There are broken slicks, some very smelly, and some oiled birds along the west edges of Berkeley's Marina and Brickyard peninsulas. The oil is snaking in toward mud flats that are prime habitat. It's much worse at the west end of Pt. Isabel -- masses of black oil globules in the slicks, and a strong smell. East Bay Regional Park District will place booms to protect some marshes. I have not checked other areas, such as Albany Bulb, but expect oil there. Given Bay currents, I expect that the entire Pt. Richmond - Pt. San Pablo area would be pretty hard hit.

Here is what you can do:
1. The best number to call with reports of oil is the state Office of Emergency Services, 1 800 852 7550. They will report to local agencies. (This does work.)

2. Document oil slick, globules, oiled animals, etc. with notes, photos, and videos. Eelgrass, oysters, etc. matter, as well as birds. Agencies that will want these include NOAA (natalie.c-manning@noaa.gov), Save the Bay (mlatta@savesfbay.org); Baykeeper (sara@baykeeper.org); very likely others such as the Regional Water Quality Control Board, US EPA, and us (Friends of Five Creeks). For now, hang onto your pictures, keep notes on when and where they were taken, please tell me, and please be patient -- all these folks are going to be swamped

3. If you see oiled animals, call 1 877 823 6929. Do not approach oiled animals -- they may injure you, and the oil is toxic. Do not call this number of volunteer. If/when volunteers are needed, there will be a notice on the Oiled Wildlife Care Network website, www.owcn.org.

Thanks!