Calif. Legislation Would Fund Response to Mysterious Spills in Bay

Dunlins, a shorebird prevalent in San Francisco Bay, released in Oakland. Photo by Cheryl Reynolds/ International Bird Rescue.

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By Bay City News Service:

State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, Monday announced legislation that would protect wildlife in the case of a marine spill involving a non-petroleum-based substance.

Senate Bill 718 was jointly authored by Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland, and was inspired by the recent discovery of an unknown substance, also dubbed “mystery goo,” in the Bay that killed more than 200 birds and left many more injured. The bill would address a gap in the law that exists when the pollutant in question has not been identified.

“California has a sophisticated oil spill response system, but in the unique event when a pollutant is unidentified, there is no clear funding mechanism for the cleanup,” Leno said in a statement. “This legislation clarifies that the state’s top priority during a spill of any kind is to immediately protect waterways and wildlife, regardless of what type of substance caused the problem,” he said.

Previous:

• 19 Birds Still in Care After Coming into Contact with Deadly Mystery Goo in East Bay
• Mystery Goo That Covered East Bay, Peninsula Seabirds Partially Identified, But Still A Mystery
• Some Birds Cleaned Of East Bay, Peninsula Mystery Goo Released
• What Is This Mystery Goo? 200 Birds Dead In East Bay, Peninsula In Less Than Week
• Mystery Goo Spreads To Peninsula Birds
• Mystery Substance Found On More East Bay Seabirds

SB 718 would allow for a faster response time in the event of a non-petroleum-based spill by allowing the state Office of Spill Prevention and Response to borrow up to $500,000 from the state’s oil spill prevention fund for the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife.

San Francisco Baykeeper and Audubon California are co-sponsors of the bill.

Birds covered in the mysterious substance first started appearing on East Bay and Peninsula shores on Jan. 16. Because the substance was never identified, the nonprofit International Bird Rescue has had to pay out of their own pocket for the costs associated with cleaning and caring for the affected birds. The organization said they’ve spent nearly $150,000 so far.