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Oil spill's impact not as bad as initially thought

No fish or shellfish, few birds affected by leak into river

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SAVANNAH -- The environmental impact of an oil spill that occurred Monday in the Savannah River might not be as bad as originally reported, Georgia wildlife officials said Wednesday afternoon.

• Photo: The ring around the breast of the juvenile brown pelican on the far left is thought to be oil from a spill on the Savannah River, Georgia natural resources officials said Wednesday.
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Following a reassessment of data using high-resolution cameras, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources found that only two of 246 brown pelicans observed along the river had evidence of oil on their bodies. The agency said Tuesday that at least 62 of the birds were affected by the spill.

"Upon further examination of the images we shot, we could see that the feathers were only wet -- not coated with oil like we originally thought," said Jeff Barnes, environmental emergency responder with the Georgia DNR. "The only two birds that had evidence of oiling had only a light coating, and we expect them to recover completely."

Meanwhile, cleanup efforts on the estimated 5,000-gallon heavy-oil spill continued on portions of the river Wednesday. Crews removed oil deposits from a 900-yard stretch along the beaches of Tybee Island and continued to work near Elba Island where the spill was thought to be most severe.

All restrictions have been lifted on the Savannah River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, as most free-floating oil sheens have been collected by cleanup crews or burned off by the sun, said Petty Officer 1st Class Donnie Brzuska, a Coast Guard spokesman.

The source of the spill remained unknown Wednesday evening, and the Coast Guard continued its investigation on facilities and vessels in the area.

Preliminary reports indicate the oil is "a very heavy, refined fuel oil," like that used to power large vessels, Barnes said.

Brzuska said the Coast Guard would not confirm the type of oil until official results were completed, which could come this week.

Aside from small amounts of surface oil seeping into the South Carolina side of the Intracoastal Waterway, there is no evidence that the spill has affected Daufuskie or Hilton Head islands, Brzuska said.

No fish kills, dead birds or damaged shellfish beds have been reported, though the Georgia DNR will continue to monitor the area for weeks and maybe months, Barnes said.

A crew of about 80 workers from the Coast Guard; the Georgia DNR; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Coast Guard Auxiliary; and a hired contractor, Moran Environmental Recovery, will continue to work on cleanup and recovery throughout the week.

Barnes said workers are reporting a dramatic improvement in the river from Wednesday as compared to Tuesday.

"We're optimistic that the overall impact to the environment will not be severe," he said.