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| Animal Advocates, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Refugio Oil Spill, California, Fish, Wildlife, Rescue |
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
OFFICE OF SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
REFUGIO OIL SPILL RESPONSE EVALUATION REPORT
May 2016 Summary and Recommendations from the Office of Spill Prevention and
Response
Wildlife Branch Report Only
(Prepared/Edited by Animal Advocates)
Birds
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Marine Mammals
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267 live and dead birds collected
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162 live and dead marine mammals collected
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46/65 live birds captured were released
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24/63 live mammals captured were released
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19 died in care
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39 died in care
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202 birds collected dead
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99 collected dead
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Most birds collected were brown pelicans, murres and pacific loons
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Most marine mammals collected were California Sea Lions
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Introduction
The purpose of this report is to summarize the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Office of Spill Prevention and
Response’s (OSPR) response efforts to date regarding the Refugio Oil Spill, as
well as lessons learned and recommendations for improvement. The information
and recommendations provided in this report are based on OSPR’s internal
evaluation of performance in those response functions for which OSPR had
responsibility. Although winding down, the Refugio Oil Spill response is
ongoing, specifically focusing on implementing the Phase III Maintenance and
Monitoring Plan. Because OSPR has a primary role in carrying out this plan,
Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment activities will not be covered in this version
of this report, but will be added as an addendum at a later date following full
demobilization and closing of the response. Additionally, this report does not
cover any civil or criminal investigations which are outside the scope of
managing an incident.
The CDFW has public trustee responsibility for protecting,
managing, and restoring the State’s fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.
During response to oil spills in state waters OSPR fulfills the trustee mandate
as the designated State On-Scene Coordinator (SOSC) and represents the State in
coordinated oil spill response efforts with the Federal government. As such,
OSPR is one of the few State agencies in the nation that has both major
pollution response authority and public trustee authority for wildlife and
habitat.
The facts, information, and recommendations contained in
this report are based upon information which is presently available through the
response effort. Additional facts may be discovered or known which could
otherwise be considered to modify content or recommendations contained in this
report. Thus, CDFW/OSPR reserves the right to not be bound to the content of
this report if additional information becomes known after the publication of
this report.
The Refugio Oil Spill
and Response
The Refugio Oil Spill occurred on May 19, 2015, due to the
failure of an underground 24-inch pipeline (Line 901) near Highway 101 in Santa
Barbara County. The responsible party (RP) was Plains Pipeline, L.P. (a
subsidiary of Plains All-American Pipeline). The pipeline failure caused crude
oil to be released onto land and then it flowed into the Pacific Ocean. As
initial information on the potential spill was gathered, it quickly became
apparent that the spill was a significant event and was continuing to grow. The
RP initially estimated the amount of crude oil released at about 104,000
gallons, with 21,000 gallons reaching the ocean.
Within hours, based on recommendations from the California
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the CDFW issued a closure of
fisheries. The following day, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., declared a state
of emergency for Santa Barbara County.
The pathway of the crude oil caused significant oiling to
terrestrial areas before reaching the ocean at Refugio State Beach. A cliff
face above the beach and the shoreline at Refugio State Beach was most heavily
impacted. Other areas of the Santa Barbara and Ventura coast were also
significantly affected. The crude oil that entered the ocean posed a
significant risk to and injured marine wildlife, including invertebrates, fish,
birds, and mammals. In addition to direct natural resource impacts, the closure
of beaches and fisheries occurred days before the Memorial Day weekend
resulting in losses for local businesses and lost opportunities for the public
to visit and enjoy the shore and offshore areas. Some tar balls attributable to
the Line 901 release were carried by southerly ocean currents and eventually
reached some beaches in Los Angeles County.
Wildlife Branch
Objectives &
Responsibilities
Wildlife is put at risk when oil is spilled into aquatic or
terrestrial environments. Both federal and state statutes mandate protection,
rescue, and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife. In California, OSPR and the Oiled
Wildlife Care Network (OWCN; administered by the UC Davis Wildlife Health
Center), work to provide the best achievable capture and care for impacted
wildlife during oil spill response. This mission is met through providing
reconnaissance for oil-impacted wildlife; assessing the need for and providing
hazing of at-risk wildlife; recovering potentially oil-impacted live and dead
wildlife; stabilizing, washing and rehabilitating impacted live wildlife; and
documenting and managing disposition of dead potentially impacted wildlife.
Refugio Activities
& Effort
In response to the Refugio incident, the Wildlife Branch
Director (WBD; an OSPR staff scientist) activated the OWCN on May 19, 2015.
This initial activation set in motion the activation of OWCN member
organization staff, pre-trained volunteers, and facilities. On May 20, OSPR
established the Wildlife Branch in the Operations Section at the Incident
Command Post (ICP) and, with other Agency and OWCN Member Organization staff
and volunteers, began recovering impacted wildlife. Wildlife Branch field
operations were demobilized on June 24, based on oil fingerprinting results
from samples taken from recovered animals.
Wildlife
Reconnaissance
Baseline information on the status and distribution of
wildlife was important in assessing at risk wildlife and developing appropriate
response actions. While this information was available during spill response
from the Environmental Unit of the Planning Section (Resources-at-Risk
Specialist), variations from historic baseline conditions due to daily and
seasonal movements of many animal species necessitated rapid, real-time
reconnaissance of wildlife concentrations in the spill area. Real-time data
were collected using aircraft and initial on-water/boat and onshore surveys. An
OSPRcontracted team of U.C. Santa Cruz experts flew with a CDFW-piloted plane
on May 21, 2015, to provide marine bird and mammal locations at-sea in relation
to the spill. This data aided in planning where to send recovery teams, and
determining whether and where specialized equipment was needed, e.g., specific
kennel sizes or capture gear for specific species.
Reconnaissance also included managing over 1,000 phone calls
from the public reporting over 300 sightings of oiled wildlife. The OWCN Oiled
Wildlife Hotline (hotline) began receiving calls reporting oiled wildlife on
day two of the spill. At this time, the hotline was transferred to OSPR phone
operators who received information from concerned citizens on the location of
oiled wildlife. Operators then transferred this information to Wildlife Branch
staff at the ICP via email who then texted it to the Wildlife Recovery Group in
the field.
The extent of coastline over which oiled wildlife was found
was extensive. In past spills, shoreline reconnaissance has typically been
covered by wildlife recovery teams from the shoreline. Post spill evaluation
indicated that shoreline and/or boat reconnaissance teams could have been
useful throughout the duration of this spill.
Wildlife Hazing
Wildlife hazing is intended to minimize injuries to wildlife
by attempting to keep animals away from oil and/or cleanup operations. The need
for hazing was assessed initially and throughout the Refugio incident and
deemed not advantageous for onshore and nearshore birds and pinnipeds, and not
practical far offshore for whales. The Hazing Group Supervisor made the
recommendation to not haze via the WBD to the Unified Command. The
recommendation was guided by site-specific and species-specific factors present
at the time of the spill, and availability of proven hazing techniques.
Wildlife Recovery
Once animals became oiled, habitat-specific and
species-specific strategies to recover and remove oiled live animals and all
dead wildlife were required. Wildlife recovery teams – under separate bird and
mammal operational groups – attempted to complete systematic surveys to collect
affected wildlife, including at least one survey as early as safely possible
after dawn. Successful captures not only depended on the condition of the
target animals, but also on the training and experience of the Recovery teams,
and techniques and equipment used. Concerned citizens began recovering oiled
wildlife in the afternoon of day one of the spill in part due to lack of
knowledge regarding wildlife response protocols (i.e., capture should only be
done by qualified response personnel) and oil health and safety practices.
Bird recovery teams recovered 267 live and dead birds. Of
the 65 live birds captured, 46 were released and 19 died in care. An additional
202 birds were collected dead. The primary species collected were Brown
Pelicans, Common Murres, and Pacific Loons. Several oiled Snowy Plovers were
observed at Coal Oil Point, but teams did not attempt capture due to a
determination made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in
consultation with the Wildlife Branch, that the risks of injury from capture
outweighed the negative consequences of light oiling.
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| Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California |
Marine mammal recovery teams (composed primarily of members
of the California Marine Mammal Stranding Network acting within the OWCN and in
coordination with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Marine
Mammal Stranding Network Coordinator) responded to reports of live and dead
oiled marine mammals. Teams followed national oiled pinniped guidelines,
recently updated by NMFS following the Deepwater Horizon, to capture and
recover marine mammals. For dead animals, recovery teams deployed to collect
the animal, or (if the animal was too large to collect) field processing teams
deployed to collect information/evidence from the carcass.
Due to a concurrent and on-going California Sea Lion Unusual
Mortality Event (UME) and the use of the new national guidelines, additional
staff and resources were needed to recover and process both live and dead
marine mammals. Most facilities and local staff were already operating at
capacity due to the UME. While the recovery teams that were initially deployed
had limited supplies to support early bird operations, the unusual finding of
large numbers of affected marine mammals presented a greater challenge for
acquiring necessary equipment.
Teams recovered a total of 162 live and dead marine mammals.
Of the 63 live mammals captured, 24 were released and 39 died in care.
Ninety-nine mammals were recovered dead. The primary species collected was the
California Sea Lion.
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| Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins, Los Angeles, California |
Transportation
Transport of oiled wildlife from the field to the recovery/field
stabilization area(s), and/or to the primary care facility was done as quickly
and efficiently as possible. However, because most marine mammal facilities
were above operational capacities due to the UME, the closest large-scale
facility that could accept oiled pinnipeds was SeaWorld San Diego. Similarly,
the closest large-scale primary care center for birds was the Los Angeles Oiled
Bird Care & Education Center, located in San Pedro. The extensive shoreline
area over which impacted wildlife were recovered, coupled with the long
distance to primary care facilities and significant traffic congestion,
presented transportation challenges throughout the response. When possible,
animals were checked on periodically during transport, and if needed, provided
hydration and nutrition.
Field Stabilization
The Field Stabilization Group provided initial care prior to
transportation to the primary care facilities to increase survival. The OWCN
mobile veterinary laboratory/animal care trailer (aka, MASH unit) was dispatched
to the field for this purpose. In addition, smaller wildlife rehabilitation
centers (Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute and the Marine Mammal
Care Center in Fort MacArthur for pinnipeds, and Santa Barbara Wildlife Care
Network for birds) provided additional stabilization support.
Wildlife Care &
Processing
The Wildlife Care & Processing Group utilized two Strike
Teams – Wildlife Care and Wildlife Processing. The Wildlife Care Strike Team
ensured that wildlife exposed to petroleum products received the best
achievable care through veterinary services at 29 rehabilitation centers. The
Wildlife Processing Strike Team ensured oiled animals were fully evaluated and
that data were captured, so the UC could obtain oiled wildlife statistics used for
a variety of purposes, such as response strategy development and media updates.
Separate care and processing groups were formed for birds and mammals within
the two separate primary care centers.
Recommendations
Both OSPR and OWCN hosted multiple “Refugio Incident
Wildlife Hotwash” discussions to identify lessons learned among lead and key
staff. The following describes significant lessons learned and recommended
changes to improve spill response for oiled wildlife.
Wildlife Reconnaissance
·
While the hotline was effective in receiving and transferring information for
hundreds of calls, tracking the status of each animal was time consuming for
responders in the field. In the future, data should be input to a “live
spreadsheet” document that can be shared among key wildlife staff (e.g.,
operators, WBD, responders in the field). This system will provide data more
efficiently to responders, and will aid operators in providing status updates
to concerned citizens on animals they report.
· To
address increased calls to the hotline as a result of public concern during
spills and ready access via cell phones, as well as a request from OWCN for
shoreline and/or on-water reconnaissance teams throughout the duration a large
oil spill, OSPR should prepare to fill the role of Reconnaissance Group
Supervisor in future wildlife responses and as appropriate in drills.
Wildlife Recovery
· The
OWCN will develop more comprehensive plans to ensure an on scene core staff
Wildlife Recovery Group Supervisor and complete supply caches (either within
the OWCN’s Sprinter van or pre-staged caches) are available on day one of a
spill. Additionally, the OWCN will establish standards to cascade resources to
a spill over defined time periods.
· The
Refugio Incident was the first spill in recent California history to involve
significant numbers of oiled and possibly impacted marine mammals. For example,
during the Cosco Busan oil spill, one live oiled marine mammal was encountered,
and five dead. As such, activated Recovery personnel had greater-than-normal
operational taskings for the incident size. In the future, additional staff
should be activated to ensure coverage is attained both for responding to
public/responder sightings as well as systematic regional searches.
Wildlife Field Stabilization and Field Processing
· OWCN
leads should ensure all OWCN personnel receive additional training on the
National Oiled Marine Mammal Guidelines, and develop California-specific
guidelines that help enact these Guidelines.
·
For spills with anticipated wildlife impacts, a core staff Group Supervisor and
the MASH unit (with equipment and supplies needed to support field
stabilization and (if necessary) field processing) should be on scene within 24
hrs.
Wildlife Transportation
· Use
of staff from OSRO’s as drivers for transportation of oiled wildlife was
effective for providing dedicated personnel for this important task as well as
trucks of sufficient size. In the future the WBD should consider the use of
OSRO or other contract personnel/vehicles for transport, in particular when
marine mammals are impacted. All transporters should be accompanied by a
trained OWCN volunteer or staff who can ensure animals remain stable and can
also direct communications with the facility and transportation coordinators to
provide updates on estimated arrival times.
This report was prepared, edited by Animal Advocates wildlife
rehabilitators located in Los Angeles, California. It is only the wildlife
portion of the full report which is linked below.
Mary Cummins of
Animal Advocates is a
wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the
California Department of Fish and Game and the
USDA.
Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.
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