ESTABLISHING A WILDLIFE RESPONSE AFTER THE ASHLAND OIL SPILL

Abstract

ABSTRACT On January 2, 1988, an Ashland Oil Company storage tank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ruptured, spilling about 750,000 gallons of No. 2 diesel fuel into the Monongahela River. This spill, the largest documented inland oil spill in history, occurred in an area that was unprepared for this kind of environmental disaster. Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc., was requested by state and federal authorities to establish a wildlife response plan, set up a treatment center, and train professionals and volunteers to treat contaminated wildlife. Using previously developed training packets and supplies lists, Tri-State personnel established task forces, trained volunteers in tested medical protocols, equipped a center, and began treating birds within 12 hours of their arrival at the scene. While only 5 percent of the birds affected could be retrieved, 94 percent of the birds retrieved were successfully treated, released, and subsequently monitored in the wild. This paper focuses on the need for rapid response, adherence to protocols, interagency communication, and hands-on experience in establishing a successful response to wildlife contaminated by oil.