River oil spill cleanup and probe continues

<p>The Petaluma River is still recovering from an oil spill on its banks last week, and although the environmental damage is limited, a number of safety violations that led to the spill could have been prevented, according to state officials.</p><p>The spill occurred on the morning of Sept. 6, when salvage work being done on a 90-ton tugboat in an inlet near Hopper Street caused between 200 and 600 gallons of gear oil to leak into the river. The fire department and the California Department of Fish and Game responded quickly and corralled most of the oil in containment “booms” put out throughout the two-mile slick. Fishing was banned on the river as the crews worked to remove the boat and soak up oil.</p><p>By now the tugboat has been cut up and removed and the booms have been removed, having contained much of the oil. The fishing ban was lifted within a day. No damage to wildlife has immediately been observed, but there will be periodic monitoring going forward.</p><p>“Relatively speaking, it was a fast cleanup,” said Alexia Retallack, a spokesperson for the state's Department of Fish and Game.</p><p>The investigation into ATOP TRC Inc., the Alameda-based company that owned the tugboat and was doing the salvage work will be completed within the next few weeks.</p><p>“No permits were on file with anyone (for the salvage work),” said Retallack. “There are several levels of charges.”</p><p>Retallack said the investigation and the charges will likely be “a bit broader and bigger than we expected,” but could not reveal more details on the ongoing investigation.</p><p>David Yearsley, founder of Friends of the Petaluma River, said that he hopes the investigation will reveal how the company brought the boat to shore, on land that is owned by URS Corporation, and how the land can be protected in the future.</p><p>Periodic cleanup and monitoring will continue by teams from state agencies and Friends of the Petaluma River.</p><p>“It's difficult to assess the long-term damage,” said Yearsley. “Whether fish were impacted is hard to tell,” he added.</p><p>Since most of the oil was contained quickly and is a thinner type of oil that is easier to clean up, much of the remaining oil will naturally biodegrade over the coming weeks, said David Elias, an engineering geologist with the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.</p><p>“The significant majority of the oil was contained and there were able to pump it off,” said Elias. While a limited amount remains of vegetation, “It's not going to rub off on wildlife,” he added.</p><p>While there will certainly be lingering effects and impacts that are yet to be seen, “it certainly could have been worse,” Yearsley said.</p><p>(Contact Philip Riley at philip.riley@arguscourier.com)</p>