Crews clean up Petaluma River oil spill

<p>A vacuum truck Tuesday sucked away oil remaining on an old tug boat while cleanup crews began the day's work of capturing what had spilled from the tug into the Petaluma River.</p><p>On Monday crews contained hundreds of gallons of heavy gear oil that had seeped from the old boat. The spill stretched from the downtown turning Basin to Highway 101. It was discovered early Monday.</p><p>“Last night the vacuum truck arrived and it's taking material off the tug,” said Alexia Retallack, spokeswoman for the state Fish and Game Department, which is overseeing efforts.</p><p>“We've had no signs of wildlife effected by the oil spill yet,” Retallack said.</p><p>While small fuel spills occur frequently from boats along the river, this spill was a major event. An estimated 200-600 gallons had leaked into the river.</p><p>The 90-ton boat was in the process of being dismantled for scrap, Retallack said. The work was being done as the boat sat in a small inlet on private land along Hopper Street.</p><p>How the oil leaked and how much got into the river remained part of Tuesday's investigation.</p><p>Monday's effort, which included containing the spill with booms, shut down at dark. It resumed at about 6 a.m. Tuesday.</p>