Rehabilitated Birds from Oil Spill to Be Released Monday

PHOTO courtesy of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

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The Unified Command announced Friday it has concluded the emergency response phase of the oil response at Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary near Arlington and is transitioning into a remediation project led by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

An oil sheen from the spill could be seen from north of Reagan National Airport to past the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the days following the spill in late January.

The Coast Guard and the Department of Energy and Environment will remain available for support but will not have an active role in the remediation phase, the Command said.

Also read: Dominion Power Takes Responsibility for Potomac River Oil Spill

After more than two weeks of response operations, no additional sheening has been observed, and no additional impacted wildlife has been reported, the Command announced.

In total, eight miles of shoreline were impacted, and there were 29 wildlife fatalities.

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research is scheduled to release the first 20 rehabilitated birds back into the wild at Belle Haven Park (see map below) at noon Monday.

Entities involved included:

• DC Department of Energy and Environment
• Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
• Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Baltimore
• U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team
• National Pollution Funds Center
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• U.S. Park Service
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Arlington County Fire Department
• Arlington County Public Works
• Metropolitan Washington Airport Administration
• Maryland Department of Environment
• Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research
• Dominion Virginia Power

“This has been a true team effort across and within all of our agencies, and I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported this response,” said Lt. David Ruhlig, operations section chief. “Our efforts spanned five jurisdictions and at least 16 governmental agencies, each within their own concerns and specializations. Our common focus on protecting public safety and the environment was the driving force behind this response.”

Twenty birds will be released at Belle Haven Park Monday: