Diana Fu 0:09 Hello, and welcome to Dockside, the educational podcast that helps you save the waters you love by sharing clean and safe boating practices, information and much more. I'm your host, Diana Fu.
In today's episode, we will meet Bob Chedsey, Oil Spill Prevention Specialist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response. And we will be learning from him some important information about oil spills in California and what we need to know. Thank you, Bob, and Welcome. Bob Chedsey 0:51 Nice to be here. Diana Fu 0:51
Nice to have you here. My first question for you has just been about California and several large oil spills. So California has been the site of several large oil spills in recent history from the 1969 spill off the coast of Santa Barbara to the October 2021 Orange County spill. If you could just briefly share with us the most recent spill we had last year in Orange County. Bob Chedsey 1:20
Okay, well, the unlike the 1969 Santa Barbara spill, which occurred as a well blowout. What happened in Orange County in October was that an offshore platform which sits above a wellhead where oil is being pumped out of the ocean bottom. A pipeline then goes from the platform to a facility on shore. And it from what we were given understand that pipeline may have been damaged by one or more ships anchor is dragging over the top of it. Now there's a lot of litigation investigation, speculation on exactly what happened. I'm not going to get involved in that. But I can speak to how the federal state local governments and private entities did respond to that spill. From a an incident management standpoint, our protocols are to form a unified command. And that's with the Coast Guard representing the federal government, the Department of Fish and Wildlife representing the state of California. In this case, Orange County represented the local governments and the operator, the platform was involved in the response as well, because they know the facility best they have the drawings, the technology, the wherewithal to engage contractors for the repair and the cleanup of the spill. As far as the state's response, we had personnel, I responded as well as a number of environmental scientists to assess the impacts of the spill, to help oversee the response contractors and set priorities to protect and recover from the spill. And it went, I would say, fairly well. There was what course not everybody is going to be happy when there's oil on the beaches, nobody's happy. But it the response proceeded, I think, pretty well, for the given situation.
Diana Fu 3:27 Yeah, absolutely. It was a really big event. And I wanted to just take a step back and ask you really what's considered a spill? Bob Chedsey 3:38
Well, you mentioned the 69, and Santa Barbara incident and the Orange County. And some of these are pretty big events, right? The Exxon Valdez, the American traders that happened back in 1989 1990, that and those are what created or caused the creation of a state level organization such as the Office of spill prevention and response. But realistically, smaller spills happen on a much more frequent basis. Bottom line, if there's a sheen on the water, if you can see it, or smell it, or anybody else can that's constitutes a spill under California law. Now. You know, anything that gets into the waters of the state that's not authorized by a governmental entity by a federal state or local government entity is a spill and it's a reportable spill. It's not necessarily a violation of law. So a lot of your audience are recreational boaters, you know, and things do happen. If it gets in the water causes a sheen, it's observable. It's required to be reported it's not necessarily a violation. But you know, things like overfilling, a fuel tank or a bilge pump, spits out some sheen into a marina. You know, these are these are all concerns oil spills. A lot of people think that it has to be over a certain amount, like a gallon or more. That's not the case.
Diana Fu 5:08
Yeah, thank you for that clarification. I think a lot of people when we think about oil spills, we think of, you know, those very visceral pictures that you see in the media, you know, birds covered in, you know, sludge and things like that. And I think it's for that reason that oils, oil spills always attract so much public attention because of their impacts, right, and we see those pictures. So let's talk a little bit about why oil spills are harmful to the environment. How long does oil impact the environment after a spill? And how long does a spill impact human activities such as recreational boating, and fishing?
Unknown Speaker 5:45
Okay, well, you know, the impacts of a spill are going to vary widely depending on the volume of the release how much oil was was released, and the type of oil there's a big difference between, for instance, gasoline, or crude oil. Gasoline, for instance, presents a more acute toxicity hazard for wildlife. Obviously, it's a fire and explosion risk as well if it finds a source of ignition, but it evaporates rather quickly and goes away. It's not ideal that it does, but given the weather conditions and the environmental conditions such as wave state or sea state, a gasoline sheen can dissipate rather quickly. Heavy oils such as lubricating oils or crude oils, will tend to complicate things because they are thicker, they will last longer. And they will coat things like the rocks on a jetty or the pilings on a pier. And those are the ones that will coat the the birds and the aquatic mammals that that we see the pictures of. The other component, of course, are the environmental conditions at the time of the release the when the currents, the waves, and any kind of agitation or mechanical energy, they can work in the favor of the spill, or they can make it worse if it's driven up on shore. As far as the impacts to humans, of course, three things: one is the impact to recreational boating, we want to keep people out of the spill area so that they don't become contaminated their boats don't become contaminated or drag contamination around with them. And also fishing fisheries became a big thing in the Orange County spill. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in the state of California is the agency that's tasked with looking at whether the fish or even fishing activity is a safe activity in a spill area. And we always have to lean on the lean towards the being more cautious err on the side of caution when it comes to public health and safety.
Diana Fu 8:04 And what is the process of cleaning up after a spill and how quick response can lessen the spread of oil? How much of that really makes a difference? Unknown Speaker 8:14
Okay, well, first of all, I'd like to point out that none of us whether it be the agencies and marina operators, or the voting public should wait for a spill to occur in order to be ready. Okay, although largely preventable spills do happen and facilities and voters should have some knowledge of what to do have some materials ready to use, and have somewhat of a plan to execute a spill should happen on their watch. Like I say the first priority is always human life, health, and safety. So the first step in responding to a spill is to I would say sound the alarm. And by that I mean to you know, whoever sees a spill, or is there when a spill takes place, should make notifications both the required notifications to the agencies. But also if it were in a marina or similar situation to let nearby people know that they that what's going on so that they might take steps to protect themselves protect their property. If it's like we mentioned a gasoline spill a marina, if there's a danger that it can find a source of ignition, calling 911. To get response agencies and route is not out of the question. In fact, that's probably a good place to start. But there are a couple of phone calls that need to be made by law. And that's to the National Response Center, which is operated by the US Coast Guard and to the State Warning Center in California which is operated by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. I can give you those phone numbers towards the end of our end of our podcast. If you or whoever witnesses or is on scene when a spill takes place makes these calls in a timely fashion that brings us the agencies into the know so that we can actually help the help guide the response. And a key part of that is when these notifications are made is to have a working callback number and anonymous tip is only have so much value to us as agencies, we'd like to be able to get a hold of the people that actually were on scene and actually saw what happens we have a fairly accurate accounting of what's really taking place. That way, we know what resources really need to be brought into the game, such as cleanup contractors, who would bring crews and equipment. first aid measures, something that somebody could do in a marina or on a boat, such as throwing absorbent pads into the engine compartment to soak up oil and the builders or to pull some absorbent boom, or barrier boom, to try and limit the spread of a spill in a marina situation. That's ideal. If it gets beyond that, or it's a larger spill than that then the cleanup contractors can bring in vacuum trucks, skimmers and a lot of specialized equipment. And it's all cascaded from there. Those contractors, though, can can be quite expensive. So as you said the earlier that somebody jumps on it and does take some sort of action to limit the spread of the spill, the more they're going to limit the cost of the event.
Diana Fu 11:34 It sounds like there's a very robust response system. And we've heard that California has one of the best spill prevention, preparedness, response and restoration programs in our nation. What is California doing exactly to prevent oil spills? Bob Chedsey 11:51
No, well, thank you for that, for that gracious plug. But I would have to tend to agree with you that California. You know, we are known worldwide for being very protective of our natural resources. And California has been a leader in spill prevention and response and integrating various disciplines into a unified program to deal with the threats and the response to oil spills in California, or I worked with the state of California. All companies that handle oil near the water, whether they be in transportation, refining, production. All of these companies are required to have oil spill contingency plans, which include pre designated contractors that I was picking up. They also need to designate a professional spill management team to be activated in the case of a spill. And we hold these folks accountable. We review those plans, we monitor drills and exercises of those plans on a very regular basis to make sure that they can deliver on promise what they've said in their in those plans. On a daily basis, though state personnel get out and conduct inspection, outreach and enforcement activities. That's what I do in my blue sky job. We monitor over the water oil transfers conduct facility inspections we visit the ships and barges and harbors to ensure that they're complying with the regulations. And this most of anybody will tell you California has some of the most stringent regulations in the nation and possibly even the world. In the occasional case where there are violations where somebody's not doing what they're supposed to, or is working outside the rules, we have the authority to then shut down these oil transfers and file violation reports that can be followed up with legal action.
Diana Fu 13:49 And what factors do federal and state agencies keep in mind when responding to an oil spill? Unknown Speaker 13:59
Well, first and foremost, it's always the safety of the public and responders human life and health and safety are always our first priority. And that's why like I said, we try to keep people out of an area where oil has been released because as public servants, we can't responsibly allow members of the general public to become exposed to the contamination. Even if they think they're helping, like rescuing oil-affected wildlife. We've seen people do that jump right into the oil to try and save a pelican or an ailing harbor seal. But his problem is that in addition to being exposed to hazardous substances, people can get injured not just by slips, trips and falls because oil is after all slippery and it's it makes everything a little complicated. But they can even be injured by the wildlife. They're trying to help they can. These animals were stressed they're freaking out and it's quite possible to literally get an eye picked out by an injured bird or be bitten by a marine mammal. They're, they're scared too. So it's better to, to let people who are ready, they're trained and equipped to handle those wildlife to actually undertake those functions. The natural resources of California belongs to the people of California by and that's right in the state constitution. And as a trustee agency department, fish and wildlife, we're entrusted with the conservation and protection of those resources to the greatest extent possible. So, you know, the first priority, of course, human life and health, then the priority. Second priority is the protection of the resources that are entrusted to the people of California. And then we are concerned, of course, with the economic damages from property damage to loss of income, those factor in as well. But these are the priorities as people first, then the environment, and then property, and economic losses. That's why we use an incident management system that allows representation by various government agencies and the private sector organizations in the decision making of how to run a response setting the priorities and setting the goals of the response organization.
Diana Fu 16:30 Thanks for that answer. We've talked a lot about Big Oil spills. And I think earlier in the interview, you alluded to kind of oil spills being more broadly defined it it doesn't really have a volume of oil associated with it. How about small spills in our waterways? What what's being done to prevent and respond to those? Unknown Speaker 16:50
Right. You mentioned that, that minor and I put minor in quotation marks, because that's always a subjective interpretation, what is minor? Well, those you know, those releases occur a lot more often, then we would hope: to pint here a gallon there. Some things happen. And that's, that is part of life. But you know, and compared to the Orange County spill in October, these might seem just inconsequential. It's not even a spill, right? But let's think about this one pint of oil, one pint on the surface of the water can create a sheen that covers an acre of water, depending on on the type of oil and it spreads out very quickly a thin oil. And the sheen might only be millimeters thick. But an acre is like the area of a football field, that it can be seen, smelled, and detected. And people can see that in their harbor on their ocean, in a lake or on a river. A gallon of oil can contaminate a million gallons of water. And that's more water than fits in an Olympic sized swimming pool. Now you can call a spill of a pint or a gallon minor. But when there are impacts of people's health, to the environment, that they enjoy, the you know, which directly impacts the quality of their lives. That's kind of a big deal for those folks. And those are the spills that we respond to most often.
Diana Fu 18:23 And what can the public do if they witnessed an oil spill? And how about what are what what would happen if you found wildlife that has been affected by a spill? What do you do then? Unknown Speaker 18:34
Well, okay, I mentioned earlier that anyone that causes a release is required by law to report it. Obviously, that doesn't always happen. But if someone observes an oil spill, they should notify the State Warning Center. Like I say, there's two numbers one for the Federal under the state, the State Warning Center has a number and I'll bring this up again at the end. But it's 1-800-645-7911. And it's easy to remember if you think 800 oils 911. the Coast Guard's number is 1-800-424-8802. And that's the National Response Center. That's back in Washington, DC and they handle calls from all over the country. So it may take a little while to get through and it may take a little while on the call. But these are the two numbers that are required by law for a spiller and like I mentioned that these numbers Once notified get a lot of things going on at one time. So it's kind of a one stop shop and there's federal and state. So it's kind of belt and suspenders. And you asked about impacts to wildlife if you observed oil wildlife. You should mention that in the report that you make to the National Response Center and to the state warning center. But again I emphasize please do not attempt to aid an oiled animal, they're under stress and they may behave, even though you're trying to help them, they might not appreciate that you could get injured or the animal could be injured in your good natured attempts to rescue them. Now, California is fortunate to be home to the oil wildlife care network, we call it OWCN. And it's managed by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Now, the network is just that it's a network, a collective of trained wildlife care providers, regulatory agencies, academic institutions and wildlife organizations across the state of California, working to rescue and rehabilitate oil wildlife. Now, these folks will respond with the right type of equipment to capture, to transport, and to treat the injured wildlife. And that's definitely the you know, the preferred method. If you observe oil, wildlife, and you want to notify the OWCN directly, they have a phone number as well, which is 877-UCD-OWCN. That translate translates to 877-823-6926. And I'll bring that up again at the end as well. Somebody wants to jot that down.
Diana Fu 21:27 Yeah, thanks, Bob. And I'll be repeating those numbers again at the end of this podcast. So it sounds like call the right people leave it to the professionals do not attempt to help wildlife, even though it may be it may be tempting in the moment. What do boaters and boating facilities need to do if they experience an accidental spill? Unknown Speaker 21:51
Good question. You know, I gotta say, first and foremost, I can't hammer this home enough the need to report it. What happens if somebody spills and doesn't report it is that and this happens very frequently is then that the spill drifts aways and somebody else sees it, and then they report it. And if it continues to drift or be carried down river or carried by the tide, somebody else sees it, and then they report it. So we'll get numerous calls of this mystery spill and we really don't know what's going on. If we got it from the original source, then we have a much better picture of what happened and how to respond to it. And again, don't just report it to the 911 call or the State Warning Center or the National Response Center. But let people around you know if it's a situation like a spill in a marina, notify the Harbormaster let nearby boaters know so that they can take actions they can, you know not have a source of ignition that they might be able to maneuver their boats out of the way or they may have some spill kits that they can bring into the end of the play. And if there are resource and we hope there are such as boom or absorbent pads that are stored in or near the dock or onboard somebody's boat, you mentioned early on, you know, the quicker you get on it, the less of it spread it is and the less of a headache. Is this for everybody.
Diana Fu 23:24 And what are some good educational resources for the public related to oil spills? What if someone wants to find out more? Unknown Speaker 23:32
Well, funny, you should ask. You know that my organization, the Office of spill prevention response, along with the California State Parks division of Boating and Waterways that have a program along with the California Coastal Commission. And we've worked together quite a bit to develop some lists of best practices for boating for boating facilities, as well as fuel dock operators. And these can be found at a website that you folks have it's https://Calspillwatch.wildlife.ca.gov. Then put /marinas-yacht-clubs. And I'll let you repeat that. That's a kind of a mouthful. Let's I'll let you repeat that at the end.
Diana Fu 24:21 Yeah, we will be sure to repeat that at the end of this podcast and also include it in the podcast description for anyone who's searching for this podcast on the web. They can go to that link directly. Well, thank you so much, Bob. I wanted to ask if you had any final thoughts that you wanted to share with our listeners today. Unknown Speaker 24:38
Um, you know, well, just from a personal perspective, I got into this line of work about 27 years ago. I'm by, it was kind of through a long route through a kind of a straight line, but kind of a circuitous route. But it it resonated with me because my daughter was young at the time and to try and leave behind a better world. You know, for her might sound schmaltzy, but the fact is that, you know, we all live on the same planet, we all share the waters of the state of California, you know, so let's do what we can to prevent spills rather than thinking that they're inevitable. Let's all work together and protecting our natural resources so that we can all enjoy them and and pass them on to the next generations.
Diana Fu 25:35 That's beautiful, and I don't care if it's schmaltzy. It's it's what it is. Thank you, Bob, for your time today. And thank you all for joining us on our second episode of Dockside. Please tune in to our future episodes, and we will be sure to repeat the numbers and the website that you heard today at the end of our podcast. Thanks and see you next time.
To report an oil spill, call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 and call the California State Warning Center at 1-800-OILS-911. If you see wildlife impacted by an oil spill, call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926. For more information on keeping boating clean, green and fun, visit www.boatingcleanandgreen.com. That's www.boatingcleanandgreen.com. This podcast was brought to you by California State Parks, the California Coastal Commission and the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. It is partially funded by the Division of Boating and Waterways Clean Vessel Act Education Program and the Federal Clean Vessel Grant Act Program.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai