SF Bay area residents are waking up to the magnitude of this week's oil spill in the Bay. This one feels personal. I surf and hike regularly at Rodeo Beach/Ft. Chronkite, a pristine beach in southern Marin Beach that got hit particularly hard. (Read SF Chronicle Story Here). My wife and I took a drive to Ft. Chronkite Sunday. There were HAZMAT crews out and the smell of oil was strong.
We're still sorting through the facts about how this could have happened, but it's clear that comunications and response efforts by the US Coast Guard were abysmal.
The outpouring from volunteers has been overwhelming. For information on how you can help, click here.
Courtesy of the Surfrider foundation, the following information might be helpful.
"If people see oil in the water, they should call (985) 781-0804 If people see oiled wildlife, they should call (877) 823-6926. The animals will be picked up and taken to a facility to be cared for. As for beach clean-up, people have to be specially trained HAZMAT) to conduct an oil spill clean-up.
Here's a local news video that gives a sense of the scope of the environmental disaster. It's hard to watch and think about without getting queasy.
