fri & sat cleanups for certified volunteers

meet at lincoln at ocean beach. check in at d tent. buses will take folks to crissyy, baker or elsewhere

Fri 11.16 – Day 10 – Maverick’s Update

Per Grant Washburn:

“Surfed tonight [thursday 11.15.07] at Maverick’s… it was breaking a little.  There was no fuel on the beach and the area seemed clean.  Several guys thought they smelled the goo, and there were some odd foam formations drifting around.  There were several dead birds and a seal corpse… but they seemed to be the same old stuff, as opposed to something covered in bunker gunk.  Pacifica to Stinson is still locked down.  OB is like a militarized zone.  Doc and a friend were chased by motorcycles when they crossed the police tape.  The stuff is still moving around, so don’t be surprised if it shows up elsewhere this weekend.”

Thu. 11.15. – PACIFICA Beaches May Open Friday

Per Greg Cochran of Pedro Point Surf Club, 6pm:

“I just got off the phone with Supervisor, Jerry Hill (San Mateo County Board of Supervisors). He so graciously called the San Mateo County Director of Environmental Health at home and got this word from the Director, Dean Peterson.  They (County, City, Feds) are going to do one more walkthrough on our beaches at 8AM tomorrow morning (Friday, November 16th).

At that time, if all goes well and there is no evidence of oil, the County will issue a Press Release, opening the beaches by 10AM. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that this happens.

We owe a great big thank you to Supervisor Jerry Hill for making these calls after hours. We also owe a big thank you to our own Councilman Jim Vreeland for working so tirelessly on this issue.  Hope to see you all in the water tomorrow at 10AM. “

Thu 11.15 – CleanUp Schedule for Friday & Official Update

From KTS:   Locations for Friday cleanup should be posted by 7:30am that day on the 311 phone line….

Excerpt from the SF Dept of Emergency Management Email late this afternoon:Volunteer deployment for beach clean-up efforts:

The City and County of San Francisco will continue to coordinate deployment of certified volunteers at the staging area at Lincoln and the Great Highway.  Look for the RED TENT in the parking lot.  Volunteers will be provided with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), collection tools and be assigned to a trained safety officer.   Employees will lead teams of volunteers in the clean-up effort at Ocean Beach.    ALL CERTIFIED VOLUNTEERS SHOULD REPORT TO THE RED TENT at Lincoln and the Great Highway.  Additional plans for clean-up operations are pending for Crissy Field, Baker Beach, and Aquatic Park but volunteers should continue to report to the main staging area. Transportation from this staging area to the other volunteer clean up sites will be provided.

 For the most updated information on volunteer deployments in San Francisco, please call 3-1-1  or visit www.sfgov.org/311. For information on additional volunteer opportunities to support the oil spill response efforts, please visit www.thevolunteercenter.net. 

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 Summary report from the State Office of Emergency Services:

Reported as of 6:30 pm on November 14, 2007: 14,974 gallons of oil have been collected.  It is estimated that 4,060 gallons of oil have evaporated. One vessel is currently skimming/collecting oil on the water and 25 support vessels and volunteer fishing vessels are working to remediate the spill.  Three helicopters are surveying the area. The US Coast Guard reports that there are currently 1,517 people participating in the spill response. According to the oil and wildlife care network, 804 live birds and 590 dead birds have been received in their facilities. 

San Francisco Update

In San Francisco, we’re supplementing the beach clean-up work of professional contractors with trained volunteers.  We’re proud to report that approximately 800 volunteers have attended trainings and have been issued a disaster service worker badge from the City’s Department of Human Resources.  Since November 12, 2007 [Monday], trained volunteers have been deployed to Ocean Beach, where the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has established a check-in site and provided safety monitors.  Volunteers are assisting with beach clean-up, wildlife and habitat preservation, and other activities related to the oil spill.

Thu.11.15 Pacifica Volunteers’ Snafu Corrected

(6pm) — A Pacifica volunteer wrote in earlier that there was an ID card snafu.  Due to clerical issue,  the Pacifica officials at the training failed to issue the trainees with the necessary ID cards to prove certification had been completed.  She reported she couldn’t participate in the OB clean-up today and was turned away, despite some clearance attempts via phone & fax.

KILL THE SPILL got word and worked with officials quickly.  The Pacifica list will NOW be posted at the Red Tent –Pacifica volunteers just need to show ID at any cleanup.  San Francisco is honoring the training and certified volunteers from the Pacifica session.

Thanks for your patience. Everybody’s working together, and yes, KTS is working tightly with officials.

- Sources:  BCleary/KTS