languish about the shores and wetlands of
Crissy Field. The tidal mechanics of San Francisco Bay caused the spill to spread rapidly, affecting a large area of the California
North Coast, including the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area,
Ocean Beach and the
Marin Headlands. More than 50 public beaches were closed, including
Crissy Field,
Fort Point,
Baker Beach,
China Beach and
Kirby Cove. By 14 November 2007, beaches as far south as
Pacifica, California, had been closed due to the spill.
Richmond's shoreline and wildlife were seriously affected by the spill. Beaches and shorelines were closed, but later reopened. However, access was still restricted as of December 2007. The government organizations responsible for the cleanup response and recovery devoted much effort to the East Bay and Rodeo Beach since they were the areas most impacted. The Rodeo Beach and Albany Beach segments were the last ones to be signed off as cleaned because of the additional maintenance and monitoring that were required.
Environmental According to the federal and state natural resource trustee agencies, the spill is estimated to have killed 6,849 birds. 2,519 were collected: 1,084 were collected alive (789 of which died; 295 of which were rehabilitated and released) and 1,856 were collected dead. About of coastline, incorporating 3,367 acres, was oiled. The eggs laid by
herring, which typically enter the bay in December, were killed in areas affected by the spill. It is estimated that 14 to 29% of the herring spawn in winter 2007-8 were lost due to the spill.
Economic Several fisheries in the Bay Area may have been affected by the spill and the crab and sport fishing seasons were postponed by several weeks. As of 30 November, State biologists had tested more than 1100 samples of fish, mussels and Dungeness crab in San Francisco Bay and coastal waters outside the Golden Gate. The tests found unsafe levels of contaminants in mussels from Rodeo Beach and the Berkeley pier. An estimated 1,079,900 recreational use days were also lost as a result of the spill. This includes general shoreline use as well as recreational fishing and boating. Total monetary damages were estimated at $2.1 million for the ship, $1.5 million for the bridge's fender, and more than $70 million for oil spill cleanup. For the first few days
OSHA rules were interpreted as requiring
HAZWOPER certification, a minimum of 24 hours of classroom time, before involvement in any effort that may result in oil contact. Eventually, and after significant pressure from would-be volunteers, a four-hour "Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Certification" subset of the course was offered. OSHA rules require exactly 240 minutes of classroom time, and the certification is valid for only one incident, e.g., this oil spill.
Cleanup timeline Ad-hoc volunteers were discouraged from cleaning beaches during the early days following the spill, as government workers and private contractor
The O'Brien's Group handled the official disaster response. On 11 November 2007, cleanup and reports were focused on damage assessment of
Cosco Busan. Oil-soaked birds were put in boxes and driven to the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center in
Fairfield to be rehabilitated by
University of California, Davis, veterinary medical students, and as of 25 November, some birds were returned to the wild. == Aftermath ==