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| E-Mail Forum |
| RETURN |
| Richmond Residents Furious at Lack of
Response for Oiled Birds November 13, 2007 |
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The following emails provide details about the failure of government officials at the state and federal level to respond to the need to clean oiled birds on the Richmond shoreline. They are very good at warning people to stay away and not attempt rescue or cleaning, but they are not providing much of an alternative. Although there has been some criticism of the City, I believe City official are doing all they can. The City has no jurisdiction or resources to address oil spill cleanup or bird rescue. They City’s principal role has been to participate in the incident command center, monitor the shoreline and provide information to residents. For lots of information on cleanup resources, see the email below from Chris Spencer and http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/13/MNO2TB3AV.DTL. -----Original Message----- Dear Tom, I have been out on the Richmond shoreline (bet. Pt. Isabel and Pt. Richmond) with a group of volunteers for the past four days. We are rescuing oiled birds and cleaning off the shore. There is NO ONE official out there to help us with the exception of ONE guy from the Oil Spill Response Network, and a Contra Costa HazMat team who helped us with equipment. They told us they weren't allowed to buy a boat, otherwise, they would have been able to put in a deep water boom. With those exceptions, there has been no Coast Guard, no one cleaning the shore except us. There have been a few Fish and Game and Coast Guard people show up, but they don't know where they are (literally). They had to ask us in order to get their GPS coordinates, and then they drive off. One of the parks district guys didn't know where Friendship Park was. Can you get us some real help, not just guys who stand around in uniform shooting the breeze? Why is Richmond always left for last? If we weren't out there, not one would be. We're happy to stop any time the "professionals" show up. Lisa
From:
Hanna, Toni
Dear Mayor McLaughlin:
I am writing to request information on what you are doing to mitigate the oil spill and its effects in Richmond? At the meeting on Saturday at the Harbormaster’s Office (which was full to bursting with volunteers, by the way), in response to why there are no booms in Marina Bay or Pt. Richmond, the Fish & Game biologist said more than once that they have to make a “Sophie’s Choice” about which areas to protect, and clearly Richmond was not a priority for them. This does not seem to have to do with a lack of funds, since the governor has allocated unlimited funds to the clean up, but rather a lack of preparedness. Also, I have found oiled birds in the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, as have my neighbors, but we are unable to get through to the one toll-free number with the OWCN, and my neighbor said she notified a group of people today in hazmat clothing with bird rescue equipment, but 20 minutes later she went back and the women were gone and the injured birds were still there.
The oil expert at the Fish & Game meeting on Saturday said that the oil by-product that was spilled into the bay is a grade 12, just one step below asphalt, and that it is full of benzene, which is highly toxic and carcinogenic. The effects of this chemical can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene. In addition, a Fish & Game employee said that when it rained on Saturday, all the VOCs hanging in the air came back down as fallout, which just adds to this catastrophic situation.
I realize you can do nothing about the fallout, but what specifically are you doing to mitigate this disaster and help the wildlife? Will you be issuing a statement on the website?
I tried calling the Oiled Wildlife all weekend to report oiled birds and the line is constantly busy. This is both a dangerous and heartbreaking situation, and here in Marina Bay we feel totally ignored. I hear from Pt. Richmond residents that they feel the same way. Will you be doing your part to help the wildlife and respond to this emergency?
Yours truly,
Toni Hanna, Homeowner & Realtor 616 Commodore Dr. Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 215-9122 hm. (510) 366-4415 cell
From:
Chris Spencer [mailto:prncvp2@yahoo.com]
Hi Tom,
I'm sure (or hope) there are more people helping, but I have only run across two individuals on shore yesterday and today. They were with the Dept of Fish and Game and IBRRC. Today, I took them over to where Ocean Dr. joins Western Dr. to meet up with our Game Wardens and the four of them were able to access the beaches through some of the private residences. These two people were not from the area, and needed us to guide them around the Point. I gave them copies of the old map that the Santa Fe Market used to hand out, and noted on them areas that needed to be visited. This is a total mess and it seems like we are on our own. It's like we do not even exist with these government agencies. I hope it gets better.
Regards, Chris I got a long telephone message from an unidentified Point Richmond resident today saying that no one is dealing with the oiled birds coming ashore in Point Richmond. She says she has called every phone number given, and there is no response. This is truly pathetic. The press is probably the only hope for getting government attention. It’s just like Katrina.
From:
Chris Spencer [mailto:prncvp2@yahoo.com]
Dear PRNC Members,
This afternoon we met with a member of the Department of Fish and Game and a representative of the International Bird Rescue Research Center at Keller Beach. They were in the process of trying to rescue several oiled and injured birds who had beached themselves there. While we were meeting with them, several residents who noticed the hazard suit clad duo, stopped by to let them know where more distressed birds could be found. GOOD WORK POINT RICHMOND!
We were able to lead them through our winding and rather confusing streets to some of the other locations. Due to our residents good work, they were able to spot additional groups of birds at these spots. Because daylight was failing, they were not able to rescue as many birds as they would have hoped, but they will return tomorrow. They wanted us to convey their thanks for your diligence and hard work. They also asked that we notify you of some additional ways to help.
1) PLEASE STAY OFF THE BEACHES. As most of you are aware already, the Health Department has closed all the beaches here in the Point among other areas in Richmond. The injured birds in the water will not come ashore if there are humans or pets on the beach. The bird rescuers need our help to keep the beaches clear of folks so they can capture these birds and get them the attention they need.
2) If you happen to see any one on our beaches not dressed in Tyvek (hazmat suits), please let them know that the beaches have been closed by the Health Department, and if they do not leave, please phone the Richmond Police at 510-233-1214. Today there were some problems with certain members of the press interfering with the folks rescuing the birds, and the police needed to intervene.
3) If you spot any oil that has come ashore, please phone the State Office of Emergency Services at 1-800-852-7550. They will report to local agencies where these new slicks of oil are located.
4) If you spot any birds or other wildlife who are oiled or otherwise distressed, please contact one of the following phone numbers:
5) If you, or some one you know lives in a home on the water, THE IBRRC & THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME NEEDS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE BAY THROUGH YOUR YARD OR PRIVATE BEACH ACCESS, PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING NUMBER: 415-398-9621 (THIS NUMBER IS FOR THE COAST GUARD, BUT THEY WILL PASS YOUR INFORMATION ON TO THE DEPT. OF FISH & GAME).
6) EVEN IF YOU HAVE CALLED ANY OF THE ABOVE PHONE NUMBERS, AND YOU HAPPEN TO SEE SOMEONE WEARING A HAZMAT SUIT ON THE BEACH, PLEASE TRY TO GET THEIR ATTENTION, AND GIVE THEM YOUR INFORMATION. BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCES TODAY, DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOUR INFORMATION HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED ON TO THEM. These agencies are very overwhelmed at the moment and it takes time to get the information out to the people on site.
7) IF YOU KNOW OF A NEIGHBOR WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL, PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO THEM.
Thank-you for help.
Christopher
Spencer |