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The last two weeks have been devastating for Bay Area communities and wildlife, but we at Baykeeper have extra thanks to give this year from the outpouring of support we have received from all of you.
Monday, we submitted testimony to the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation field hearing in which we documented our observations of what went wrong in the hours and days after the spill. We are continuing to put pressure on management agencies and government officials to investigate the inadequate spill response and recovery efforts. We are working with legislators at the state and federal level to develop important policy changes and tougher controls on the shipping industry.
Yesterday, we released a satellite image (see above or view larger image) taken five days after the spill which reflects our on-the-water reports that the fuel oil moved quickly throughout the Bay. This dispersal is of particular concern because of toxic impacts to sensitive wildlife habitat areas in marsh areas in the East Bay and as far south as the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge.
Volunteer Trainings and Shoreline Cleanups
Thanks to all of you who have volunteered to respond to the oil spill and to clean up our beaches. Over one thousand volunteers were trained and sent out to remove oil from our shorelines. Officials indicate that additional cleanups and trainings over the weekend may be announced soon. Check this website for announcements.
As of Wednesday afternoon, official volunteer opportunities have been announced only in Marin. We are gratified that our pressure on Marin agencies has resulted in these opportunities.
Marin Oil Spill Volunteer Response Training
9am - 1pm
Saturday, Nov. 24
Marin Official Beach and Shoreline Cleanups
9am - 4 pm Saturday, Nov. 24
9am - 4 pm Sunday, Nov. 25
To register to participate in the class or the cleanups, please call 415-499-7191 or send an e-mail to pthomas@co.marin.ca.us. Include your name and primary contact information when leaving a message or responding via e-mail. Interested individuals will be contacted with location and details.
With proof of completion or certification, individuals who have received oil spill training in San Francisco or Berkeley may participate in the Marin clean up efforts.
Official Cleanup Websites
San Francisco Spill Website
Berkeley Spill Website and East Bay Regional Parks Website
San Mateo County Spill Website
Unified Command Center Website
Unofficial Cleanup Websites
Kill The Spill
Obviously.com
We Need Your Help This Thanksgiving
Cleanup officials have begun to tell us that their efforts are working and that our shorelines are clean. Yet we still see goopy oil along the shorelines and in our water and distressed wildlife throughout the Bay. The San Francisco Bay's open water habitats, intertidal mudflats, rocky shores, salt ponds, and marshes all form the iconic waterway that defines the character and community of the Bay Area. Baykeeper will not let the polluter off the hook when there is more work to be done. We need your help to document oil sightings in your area so that we can get contractors and volunteers out to clean up every drop of oil. If you see oil, first, call the oil reporting hotline at 415-398-9617. Second, send accounts and photos of what you see (what, how much, where, and when) to volunteer@baykeeper.org so we can follow up on cleanup efforts. Areas that are hard to see from flyovers or motor boats are of particular importance. Please be cautious of harming marine habitat during low tide and keep a distance from distressed birds to avoid scaring them. Please do not walk your dog along the shoreline.
Oil pollutes the Bay not only from catastrophic ship crashes, but from some of our own everyday activities. Even if you're not walking the shorelines, you can make a difference. With the holidays just around the corner, many of us will be cooking rich family recipes or deep frying turkeys. Please wipe grease from your pans rather than rinsing oil down the drain - even with hot water. Grease clogs Bay Area sewer systems and contributes to sewage overflows. If we wash even small amounts of oil and greasy scraps down the drain, sewage can back up into our homes and into the Bay. For more information, see our website.
The Baykeeper office has been open long hours and seven days a week since the oil spill. We're taking a break over the Thanksgiving holiday and will have only limited staffing. If you don't hear back from us right away, please know that we'll be in touch on Monday.
Oil Spill Fundraisers
Knitters for Critters
The knitters who gather at Marin Fiber Arts are putting their needles and yarn on the line for the birds and the mammals affected by the oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Stop by Winter Wonderland in downtown San Rafael on November 23 and buy a knitted ornament to benefit Baykeeper and other nonprofits working on the oil spill.
Bimbo's 365
Visit our table to make a donation.
Jose Gonzalez & Friends
plus Cass McCombs
Sunday, November 25
Doors at 7 pm Show at 8 pm
Tickets are $22 in advance / $25 at the door.
21 & over are welcome
California Culinary Academy
$20 dinner tickets benefit Baykeeper
Menu to include various seafood such as crab cakes and tuna tartar, salads, mashed potato bar, tiramisu, beer, wine and coffee.
Friday, November 30
5pm -8pm
The Grill at 625 Polk St.
RSVP by Nov. 28 to Chef Steven Moore at (650) 348-2071
Email us at volunteer@baykeeper.org if you want to sponsor a fundraiser!
Please ask your friends to sign up for
volunteer alerts or to make a donation to support
San Francisco Baykeeper’s efforts to respond to
this crisis. |
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