Story - Oil Spill on SF Bay

A container ship hit the bay bridge at 8:30 am on November 8th, spilling oil into the San Francisco bay. The bridge itself was not damaged, although there was extensive damage done to the protective fender system. There is an ongoing investigation regarding who is to blame for the spill, which many are considering an environmental catastrophe.

Gov. Arnold Scwarzeneger declared a state of emergency on Friday, and most beaches are closed. Angel island is closed (scheduled to reopen Monday), as are several marinas, including Berkeley Marina.

Many dead and oiled birds have been found on area beaches. This has caused an outpouring of volunteerism, as thousands flood phone lines to offer help to injured wildlife.

The ocean sport fishing season had open last Saturday, but has been suspended until further notice. The crab season was also scheduled to open on Thursday, but has been closed as well.

Some have taken clean-up into their own hands, including a man arrested yesterday for doing an unauthorized clean-up at a local beach (the beach being closed for public use). You can imagine the response to measures such as this, just as many bay area residents scream their protests at the Coast Guard and other government agencies for their slow and unsatisfactory response to the spill.

For those in the San Francisco Bay area

• Bay Area Beach Closures
• If you find injured animals: (877) 823-6926
• To help with wildlife in the San Francisco Bay Area
• If your property was damaged by the spill: (888) 850-8486

- K. Hampton exclusively for YachtPals.com

The San Francisco Bay Oil Spill.