The recent disgorging of 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into SF bay was unfortunate, if not unforeseen. Dozens of large container ships plow through the Bay's treacherous waters daily. But the perceived bungle in cleanup efforts will have the US Coast Guard smarting for many months.
As a surfer who lives on Ocean Beach in SF, this hit home particularly strong. I found dead birds next to oil blobs a couple days after the spill, and couldn't get into the water or even on the beach for most of the past week. Thankfully, I was back in the water at Sloat on Sunday enjoying clean, head-high waves.
The SF Chapter of Surfrider Foundation sprung into action quickly and helped direct folks that wanted to lend a hand in the cleanup. And now we have a brigade of volunteers trained in hazmat cleanup so there will be no delays next time.
Let's hope the NTSB and the Coast Guard hold accountable those that caused the spill and those that didn't quickly contain the spilln which led to its spread across hundreds of square miles of bay, ocean and beach.
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