See and Do!
Update as of November 18, 2009
Contact: Shelly Lewis, East Bay Regional Park District Public Affairs, 510-862-9494 or slewis@ebparks.org
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 1:30 pm
From Mark Ragatz, Shoreline Parks Unit Manager
An Update the status of the beach at Crown Beach:
The closure remains the same, from the corner at the windsurf concession to and including Elsie Roemer Wildlife Sanctuary. The fishing ban established by Fish & Game is still in place. That ban is from the north end of Alameda Point to the south end of Harbor Bay Isle, not including San Leandro Bay.
An inspection walk was conducted of the closed section of the beach yesterday afternoon with representatives of Alameda County Environmental Health Dept., Fish & Game OSPR, and the cleanup management contractor for the Responsible Party (RP), and found substantial areas where there were still many medium (quarter to ½ dollar size) to large (pancake size) tar patties. The cleanup crews will continue to clean the beach this week and through the weekend on a regular basis.
On the positive side, the quantity of oil being found had decreased from 20 lbs. last Friday to 2.5 lbs. on Monday.
Another inspection walk will be conducted later this week to see and reassess the beach status before the weekend.
Update as of November 13, 2009
Friday, November, 13, 2009 - 8:30 pm
News Release - Immediate
Park District to Re-Open Portion of Crown Beach in Alameda on November 14, 2009
The East Bay Regional Park District will reopen a portion of Robert Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda on Saturday, November 14. The entire one mile beach was closed on October 30 after an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay. The portion of beach that will reopen is the northern section from Crab Cove Visitor Center located on McKay Street to Boardsports Windsurf concession at Westline Drive. The southern portion of the beach (almost the entire Shoreline Drive area) from Westline to the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary will remain closed for further observation and continued clean up.
Park staff assessed the area with a SCAT (Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique) team on Friday, November 13. Following the oil spill incident tar balls have been appearing daily on the beach, however, clean-up crews have been on site the entire time and clean-up is nearing completion. The team determined that the northern section of the beach could be open, however advise the public to visit with caution as tarballs may continue to appear for some months. Tar ball advisory signs will be posted adjacent to handwashing stations which will be placed at strategic access points to the reopened portion of the beach.
OEHHA, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, advises if you get oil or tar on your skin, wash it off with soap and water, and be certain to wash your hands before eating. If you get oil on your clothing, wash it in the usual way. There is no need to use harsh detergents, solvents or other chemicals to wash oil from skin or clothing.
Maintenance and monitoring crews will sweep this portion of the beach daily to clean any oil that may strand. A tentative meeting to reevaluate the closed portion of beach will occur on Wednesday, November 18 at 1:00 pm.
Oiled birds should be reported to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 877-823-6926.
Crown staff will reopen a portion of the beach, from Crab Cove to the Windsurf Concession tomorrow, Saturday, 11/14. Tar ball advisory signs will be posted adjacent to handwashing stations (provided by the RP) which will be placed at strategic access points to the reopened portion of the beach. IC Maintenance and Monitoring crews will sweep this portion of the beach daily to clean any oil that may strand.
Crown Beach from the Windsurf concession to Elsie Roemer sanctuary will remain closed as tarballs and oil is still showing up at a frequency that would be problematic. IC Maintenance and Monitoring crews will do daily sweeps of this portion of the beach to clean oil/tarballs as well.
A tentative meeting with SCAT to reevaluate the closed portion of Crown will occur at Crab Cove on Wednesday, 11/18 at 1:00 pm.
Update as of November 10, 2009
Oiled birds or wildlife: 877-823-6926
Due to an oil spill on Friday, October 30, 2009, tarballs are still appearing on the southern section of Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda and daily clean-up continues. The beach is closed for the safety of the public, but most importantly to give oiled birds and marine life a place to rest. The public is asked to please stay off the beach. Clean-up crews are on-site and likely will be working throughout the week or longer. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network has several teams working to rescue oiled birds and wildlife. No public or volunteer assistance is needed, and OWCN asks that the public refrain from entering the area as this activity severely stresses the wildlife. Oiled wildlife should be reported to 877-823-6926.
Shoreline cleanup activities will continue until Unified Command members agree that local, state, and federal cleanup standards have been met. Wildlife recovery efforts are still active with several Park District closures (see below).
Regional Parks shorelines closed to public access:
- The shoreline at Crown Memorial State Beach (park remains open)
- The boat launches at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline (park remains open)
Regional Parks reopened on November 6, 2009
- The shoreline at Middle Harbor
- Encinal Beach at Alameda Point
Fishing is prohibited in the area from Alameda Point at the northwest end of Alameda Island to the southern point of Bay Farm Isle (Oakland Airport).
Dubai Star Incident Public Information Web site
Oiled birds or wildlife: 877-823-6926
Fishing and Oil Safety tips From OEHHA
Alameda, Calif. – The closure of the fishing and shellfish harvesting in oil affected areas will continue until the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and Department of Fish and Game (DFG) determine it safe to reopen.
Closure areas include the Alameda County shoreline from Alameda Point at the northwest end of Alameda Island to the southern point of Bay Farm Isle (Oakland Airport).
"Protecting the public's health is our top priority," said OEHHA Director Joan Denton. "It's a good idea to avoid any fish from the spill area until further notice."
OEHHA is the science arm of the California Environmental Protection Agency and is working with DFG, the Department of Public Health and other agencies to assess impacts of the oil spill on the fisheries.
OEHHA's safety guidelines call for avoiding consumption of any fish or shellfish from the spill area until analysis of the collected samples is completed. Visible oil or oily smell are obvious indications of contamination, but fish and shellfish from the spill area could still pose a potential risk even if there are no visible signs of contamination.
Fish and shellfish caught from waters outside the spill area remain as safe to eat as before the spill, but marine life from the spill area should be avoided until the evaluation of its safety is completed. In addition, health officials are asking people to stay away from shore areas until cleanup efforts are completed.
OEHHA has issued the following safety advice for beaches in the spill area: Avoid direct contact with spilled oil, which can cause skin irritation. Prolonged contact can cause rashes. If you get oil or tar on your skin, wash it off with soap and water, and be certain to wash your hands before eating.
If you get oil on your clothing, wash it in the usual way. There is no need to use harsh detergents, solvents or other chemicals to wash oil from skin or clothing.
Do not burn driftwood or other debris that may be contaminated with oil. Use common sense. Do not swim in water with an oil slick and do not swallow water from the area. Oil-contaminated water can cause choking and lead to severe pneumonia if it gets into the lungs.
There is no risk of adverse health effects from breathing air near spilled oil unless there is prolonged exposure to fumes.
Contact: Shelly Lewis, East Bay Regional Park District Public Affairs, 510-862-9494 or slewis@ebparks.org
[RSS]