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.
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.
