Cleanup and wildlife rescue underway after oil spill in Boston-area river

Dec 10, 2024

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Jack Aylmer Anchor

By Jack Aylmer (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

Bird rescues and cleanup efforts are underway after around 100 gallons of home heating oil reportedly leaked into the Muddy River on Sunday, Dec. 8, in the Boston area. Wildlife officials were still on the job on Monday, working to save dozens of geese and ducks covered in oil from the spill.

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Zack Mertz of the New England Wildlife Center said, “Our process has been to get the most critically impacted ones help first. So, today, I think we caught about eight to 10. We had another truckload yesterday.”

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Rescuers say it could take up to a month for all birds to be released back into the wild.

“So, we’re trying to balance rescuing them and getting them care without stressing them out too much,” Mertz said, “We don’t want to cause them to do any extra activity, especially if they have oil in their mouth or nose. We could do more damage, and the last thing we want is to scare them away to a place where we can’t get them anymore.”

Environmental investigators say initial findings show the oil coming from a storm drain under a nearby condominium complex, but they are still working to find the exact source of the leak.

Officials say the spill is currently contained and cleanup continues as they monitor the area.

Tags: chemical spill, Environmental Protection Agency, Oil, Pollution, Wildlife

[JACK AYLMER]

BIRD RESCUES AND CLEANUP EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY AFTER AROUND 100 GALLONS OF HOME HEATING OIL LEAKED INTO THE MUDDY RIVER IN THE BOSTON AREA.

WILDLIFE OFFICIALS WERE STILL ON THE JOB THIS WEEK WORKING TO SAVE DOZENS OF GEESE AND DUCKS COVERED IN OIL AFTER SUNDAY’S SPILL.

[ZAK MERTZ]

OUR PROCESS HAS BEEN TO GET THE MOST CRITICALLY IMPACTED ONES HELP FIRST. SO, TODAY, I THINK WE CAUGHT ABOUT EIGHT TO 10. WE HAD ANOTHER TRUCKLOAD YESTERDAY. SO, WHAT YOU’RE SEEING AS WE WORK DOWNSTREAM FIRST, WE’RE COMING ACROSS MORE AND MORE BIRDS THAT DO NEED HELP.

RESCUERS SAY IT COULD TAKE UP TO A MONTH FOR ALL BIRDS TO BE RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD.

[ZAK MERTZ]

SO, WE’RE TRYING TO BALANCE RESCUING THEM AND GETTING THEM CARE WITHOUT STRESSING THEM OUT TOO MUCH. WE DON’T WANT TO CAUSE THEM TO DO ANY EXTRA ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE OIL IN THEIR MOUTH OR NOSE. WE COULD DO MORE DAMAGE, AND THE LAST THING WE WANT IS TO SCARE THEM AWAY TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN’T GET TO THEM ANYMORE.”

[JACK AYLMER]

ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATORS SAY INITIAL FINDINGS SHOW THE OIL COMING FROM A STORM DRAIN UNDER A NEARBY CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX BUT THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO FIND THE EXACT SOURCE OF THE LEAK.

OFFICIALS SAY THE SPILL IS CURRENTLY CONTAINED AND CLEAN UP CONTINUES AS THEY MONITOR THE AREA.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.