Oil spill links

BP's "Deep Water Horizon" spill is begging the question, how will it be cleaned up? ...it will be done using everything humanly possible, yes, by every organization imaginable, but hindsight is 20/20 and we should figure out how to NOT duplicate this scenario.

Some handy links to track the spill:
EPA's online response ( http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/ )
Transocean ( http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/ )



Brown Pelicans, Mendocino Co. (?) 2004

EDIT: the WR&E e-mail is now on their blog.

WR&E sent out this e-mail a few days ago:

On Standby for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team stands ready 24/7 and is on standby to respond to any and all wildlife impacted by the oil slick caused by the fire and sinking of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon. In addition to our management team that has 26 years experience and our team members that possess hazardous waste training, J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM, Clinical Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University is prepared to deploy as well. In addition, Dr. Heatley brings with her Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine technicians and senior students. Over 200 volunteers at The Wildlife Center are prepared to either deploy or accept cleaned animals for care.

The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team is in contact with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Command Center and ready to respond to any and all wildlife impacted by the oil slick caused by the fire and sinking of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon. In addition to our team that has 26 years experience in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and Hazmat training, J. Jill Heatley, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM, Clinical Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University will join our team for deployment. The Wildlife Rehab and Education Oiled Wildlife Response Team has a deep pool of over 200 highly trained volunteers ready to support future waves of deployment and assist with the rescue, cleaning and rehabilitation of impacted wildlife.

NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on April 25, 2010 using its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. With the Mississippi Delta on the left, the silvery swirling oil slick from the April 20 explosion and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform is highly visible. The rig was located roughly 50 miles southeast of the coast of Louisiana. Click here to go to photo's source.
Officials are now predicting that oil from the incident will reach parts of the Louisiana coastline today in the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area and Breton Sound and Chandeleur Sound by Saturday. The WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team extensive experience in this region and has successfully responded to oiled wildlife in these areas several times a year.

Our highly experienced management team maintains the multiple state and Federal permits necessary to care for injured, orphaned, endangered, and oiled wildlife. The management team possesses 40 hr. HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) certification, ICS (Incident Command System) training and TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Card) cards to allow for the collection of oiled wildlife in locations sensitive to Homeland Security such as ship channels and ports. In addition to an experienced pool of volunteers that possess 24 hr. HAZWOPER certification, the team also includes veterinarians and veterinarian technicians and 200 volunteers that are trained in the care and feeding of stressed wildlife. The team responds to oiled wildlife in both inland and coastal areas of the Gulf Coast.

The WR&E Wildlife Center has the following equipment available upon request for the oiled wildlife response:
A Wildlife Center in Houston, TX with capacity to accommodate over 500 adult brown pelicans or even larger numbers of smaller species.

Veterinary medical assistance and fully outfitted mobile and stationary operating facilities and medical support wards.

Response equipment that is stored in 8 “push pact” containers that can be trucked or airlifted anywhere for oiled wildlife response, hurricane response or other wildlife emergencies. The containers include over 3000 various sizes of plastic crates/kennels, 44 large cases of towels, paper towels, trash bags,feeding bowls, etc.

A 38 ft. bus with 24 stainless cages and 2 surgery tables with anesthesia machines for staging, triage or transport of oiled animals to the Wildlife Center. The bus has a generator and is air-conditioned.

A 48 ft. custom built two section enclosed top trailer with a 10,000-watt generator, three air conditioning units and a built-in water tank and fueling station.

A 12 person van for the transportation of personnel and supplies to Oiled Wildlife Response Workshops, Oil Spill and Emergency Response.
We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of all of you who have called and offered to volunteer, provide support and make donations of supplies or cash. The WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team is part of the response plan.

To support the lifesaving work of Wildlife Rehab and Education Center you can click here to electronically donate or you can click here to go to our website to snail mail a donation now! For more information about our Oiled Wildlife Response Team see our website www.WRandE.org under the "Oiled Wildlife" tab.

Thanks again and we will keep you posted,

Sharon Schmalz
Director of the WR&E Center
Director of the WR&E Oiled Wildlife Response Team

Wildlife Rehab & Education
7007 Katy Road,
Houston, Texas 77024




Double-crested Cormorant, Galveston Co. (2002?)
(not oiled; taken to WR&E's founder for emaciation)

Edit: the WR&E e-mail is now on their blog.