Making strides towards better response The size and magnitude of the Cosco Busan gave us the opportunity to learn where we need to improve. We have spent the year making strides to ensure a better response in the event of another major incident. We’d like to share these with everyone.GREATER RESPONSE CAPABILITIES: IBRRC is taking … Read more
Lots of stories will emerge this month on how the fragile San Francisco Bay is doing following last year’s Cosco Busan oil spill. Most of them so far seem to have swallowed the state’s reports verbatim. The first that I saw is from the San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Bay seems recovered a year after oil … Read more
Nearly a year following the oil spill that fouled San Francisco Bay, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week signed seven bills to help quicken response to spills and to train local volunteer. However, the governor also angered many environmentalists by vetoing three tougher bills. “Sadly the governor vetoed the stronger bills,” said Warner Chabot in … Read more
Using his strong memory of the catastrophic 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger renewed his opposition to any new oil drilling off the state’s coastline. Schwarzenegger remembers walking the beach in his Santa Monica bodybuilding days after the Santa Barbara oil spill: “Every single time I walked around Muscle Beach, my feet … Read more
Rescuing disabled wild animals requires a unique set of skills, very different from those used in handling domestic animals. WildRescue is offering a unique class on these commands, taught by international experts who respond to wildlife emergencies on a regular basis. While the class is tailored for animal control officers, park rangers, game wardens, biologists, … Read more
A new oil spill along the coast of Brazil has claimed the lives of hundreds of Magellanic Penguins. All seem to be victims of a spill from an unidentified source. Most of the penguins found dead were in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. At least 260 live penguins are now in care. The … Read more
In the latest twist in the legal wrangling following the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay, federal prosecutors accused the firm in charge of the container ship of falsifying documents to obstruct the investigation in the November 2007 event. This week a federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Fleet Management Ltd. of … Read more
Good news following last month’s oil spill in South America: 40 cleaned penguins returned to their ocean home today off the coast of Maldonado, Uruguay. A giant petrel was released earlier in the month. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Emergency Response Team and the local group SOCOBIOMA (Society for the Conservation of Biodiversity … Read more
A recent oil spill in Uruguay is making it tough on migrating penguins and other birds along the coast of this South American country located between Argentina and Brazil. Magellanic Penguins are the most affected by the spill that occurred when two ships collided about 12 miles (20 km) from the port of Montevideo, Uruguay … Read more
After nearly 20 years of legal wrangling, the Exxon Valdez oil spill court case has finally come to a bitter end. On June 25, 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court knocked down punitive damages in a 5-3 ruling that could have far reaching affects for victims harmed during shipping oil spill accidents. The court reduced the … Read more