Fuel spill leads to beach closures

Fuel spill leads to beach closures
San Diego Union Tribune - San Diego,CA,USA
Only a small bit of the substance wash onto the shore, at Beacon's Beach.
The waves were washing it away and the remainder was being burned off by
the sun. ...

ENCINITAS – A fuel spill that fouled an area of ocean a mile wide and four miles long has prompted the closure of several North County beaches and the disruption of a large weekend surfing competition.

Lifeguards and county environmental health officials have posted signs along a 2 ½ -mile stretch of beaches, telling swimmers and surfers to stay out of the water for at least 24 hours.

By noon Friday, a boom had been deployed and the spill had been mostly corralled around kelp beds, where the heavier elements of the substance seemed to be sticking, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jereme Altendorf.

Pads that absorb oil will then be spread out over the surface of the water to soak up as much of the material as possible, he said. They will then drag the floating boom, which has a 6- to 12-inch curtain hanging from it, across the water to collect what's left.

The sun and the current was helping to quickly disperse the substance, believed to be diesel fuel, Altendorf said. The lighter chemical elements of the fuel were what largely remained.

Crews were expected to be done by sunset.

Altendorf said officials would ask people stay out of the water until at least 24 hours after the cleanup is completed.

Their priority, said Altendorf, whose agency was in charge of the operation, was to protect the public health and prevent any further impact to the shoreline.

“We think if we do our job out here the impact will be minimal or negligent,” he said .

So far there have been no reports of any adverse effects on people or wildlife, Altendorf said.

Only a small bit of the substance washed onto the shore, at Beacon's Beach. The waves were washing it away and the remainder was being burned off by the sun.

“Eventually the environment takes care of itself,” he said.

Encinitas Marine Safety Capt. Larry Giles said that it would be best to keep children from playing on the wet sand for the time being.

So far the cost of cleanup has been estimated at $60,000, Altendorf said.

Impact on beaches

The spill was first reported around 11:30 a.m. Thursday by a boater who noticed a large sheen in the water about five miles offshore of Beacons Beach, said Altendorf.

It started to come onshore sometime late Thursday afternoon, Altendorf said.

Grandview, Beacons, Moonlight, Stone Steps and D Street beaches were all closed Friday morning and were expected to remain so for at least 24 hours, said Encinitas Fire Division Chief Scott Henry. Signs have been posted along paths to the beaches.

The spill hasn't reached Swami's Beach, a popular surfing spot, but officials were keeping an eye on it, Henry said.

The Switchfoot Bro-Am surf competition, which was scheduled for Saturday at Moonlight Beach, has been canceled but the accompanying concert is to be held as scheduled, Henry said Friday morning.

Promoters of the event said later in the day said that in place of the competition they'll have a 10 a.m. dodge ball game featuring the 64 surfers who were expected to compete.

The competition drew 6,000 fans last year and a similar number was expected this year, Giles said.

Three members of Switchfoot gathered at the beach to watch the proceedings. Jon Foreman, the band's lead singer, said the contest raises money for Care House, an agency that help teens in crisis.

He took the disruption of the surf competition in stride.

“The goal is to help kids and as long as that's going on and the community is coming together it's a success,” he said of Saturday's still-scheduled concert.

Some 10 bands are scheduled to perform.

People will be allowed on the sand on the affected beaches, officials said, but no one will be allowed in the water, and lifeguards will be patrolling and making announcements telling beachgoers to keep out.

Cleanup efforts

The Coast Guard has set up a safety zone – an area that boaters will be discouraged from entering – between Batiquitos and San Elijo lagoons, out to three nautical miles offshore, said Chief Petty Officer Steve Howell. It will be enforced until 8 a.m. Monday.

Its purpose is to keep boats from spreading the spilled fuel. Howell said a couple of Coast Guard boats will be stationed in the area and will warn approaching boats to avoid it.

The spill is estimated to be between 500 to 1,000 gallons of some type of petroleum product. It smells like gasoline or diesel fuel.

“Beacon's had the heaviest concentration,” said Kevin Vengrow, a Coast Guard pollution investigator who flew over the spill early in the morning. “There was a bright rainbow in the water.”

The smell of fuel lingered over the closed beaches Friday, and officials said their biggest concern was the actual fumes.

Short-term exposure to fumes can make people dizzy or nauseous, long-term exposure can have detrimental health effects, Altendorf said.

There have been no reports of anyone who has become ill, but, Altendorf said, “You don't want to be breathing this stuff for a long time.”

Officials said anyone who has already been in the water and starts to feel sick should contact a doctor or call 911.

Impact on wildlife

There has been no discernible impact on wildlife as yet, Altendorf said. The animals most likely to be affected are birds, especially those that plunge into the water for food, said Gerald Borjeson, a warden with the state Department of Fish and Game.

Pelicans could dive right through the substance with their beaks open and ingest it, Borjeson said. Oil-type substances can also coat a bird's feathers causing them to lose their insulation, he said.

Mammals like seals and dolphins are much less likely to be affected.

Wardens are patrolling the area to look for any injured or sick wildlife and have not found any so far, he said.

He urged anyone who comes across any animals that appears to be sick or hurt to leave them alone and contact authorities.

Where did it come from?

The Coast Guard is checking records to identify which vessels were nearby.

“We'll be looking at anyone who was in the area during the last 24 to 36 hours,” Altendorf said, adding that some of the ships may be as far away as Taiwan by now.

He said investigators already have a few suspect ships, but declined to elaborate. They were also checking with the U.S. Navy, he said.

Crews have taken samples of the substance and have sent them off for analysis, Altendorf said. They hope to have results back within a week.

The fuel leaves a chemical fingerprint that can identify with up to 99 percent certainty which ship it came from.

Coast Guard officer Vengrow said that's due to a number of factors, including the type of tank its held in, the way it was sitting in the tank and even the types of metals onboard.

He said officials believe the substance is some kind of bunker fuel of the sort used on very large vessels like cargo ships.

Impact on Encinitas

Chief Henry said the fire department got a call Thursday about a diesel smell that seemed to be emanating from the area of East Glaucus Street and North Coast Highway 101.

“Yesterday the smell was horrible,” he said.

As they followed it west they realized it was coming from the beach.

“This is the worst spill I have seen in my 27 years in Encinitas,” Henry said.

Sisters Colleen and Lisa Workman – along with their three young daughters – drove all the way from Phoenix Thursday just to visit Moonlight Beach. They were disappointed to find that it was closed.

“I'm bummed,” Colleen Workman said, lugging a full range of beach paraphernalia, including an ice chest, towels, chairs and several beach toys.

The group walked back to their car, deciding where to go next. They thought they would head down to Mission Beach. The trip wasn't a total disappointment though, since where they came from it was 103 degrees.

“This is perfect weather,” Colleen Workman said, as she looked up at the overcast sky.

One brave, or perhaps foolhardy swimmer decided to take a dip at Moonlight Beach not far from where the boom had been deployed. That didn't last long.

“Sir, you could not have picked a worse place. Get out of the water immediately,” a lifeguard said over the loud speaker.

The man quickly complied.