Features

Oil Spill Closes Local Beaches

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 09, 2007

The East Bay Regional Park District temporarily closed water access at selected shoreline parks Thursday after an 810-foot container ship rammed into the Bay Bridge Wednesday and spilt oil into the bay. 

San Francisco has threatened to sue the company or agency responsible for the 58,000 gallon spill which was incorrectly reported at first by the Coast Guard as 140 gallons. 

The East Bay park district reported that water access at the following parks had been closed since oil had washed on its shores as of 3 p.m. Thursday: 

• Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, Keller Beach and Ferry Point Pier at Miller Knox Regional Shoreline in Richmond 

• Albany Beach and North Basin at Eastshore State Park 

• The small beach at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, Oakland 

Water access at Crown Beach in Alameda was closed as a precaution. The parks themselves remain open. 

Other district facilities impacted include the Brooks Island Regional Preserve off the Richmond Inner Harbor on the Richmond Marina. 

Absorbent material (boom) is being sent to some shoreline parks as a barrier. Local animal control officials are cleaning oiled birds. District staff will be cleaning up waterbirds today (Friday). 

Additional parks will be monitored and closures will be posted on www.ebparks. org, or call (888) EBPARKS for more information.