Nearly 80 oiled birds found after ruptured pipeline leaks crude oil into LA River
Wildlife officials say that nearly 80 oiled birds were found on Saturday, just a day after a crude oil pipeline was ruptured in East Los Angeles and leaked approximately 2,400 gallons of oil, some of which crept into the LA River.
The incident was reported just before 3:20 a.m. on Friday near E. Cesar Chavez Avenue and N. Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said. The pipeline was ruptured in two places when a crew with Plains West Coast Pipeline was drilling in the area as they worked to install fiber optic cable 10 feet underground.
It took approximately 30 minutes for someone to shut off the valve, which is located near Dodger Stadium. In that time, officials estimate that 2,400 gallons spewed from the 16-inch pipeline that runs from Kern County to the Port of Long Beach.
The oil gushed onto the East Los Angeles intersection, some of which ended up running down storm drains and eventually into the Los Angeles River, firefighters said.
While no injuries were reported in the incident, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife reported that oiled birds were collected from the Los Angeles River on Saturday. Team members from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network were deployed on Friday afternoon after the petroleum entered the waterway.
"The birds have been transported to the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care & Education Center, where additional OWCN responders are providing initial care prior to cleaning," said a social media post from OWCN.
Los Angeles County officials said that the oil leak was fully contained on Saturday, but impacted wildlife continued being located through Wednesday. Birds included Canadian geese and mallard ducks, while wildlife officials said they also found two non-native turtles that required treatment.
In an post shared Sunday, the Office of Spill Prevention and Response said that 25 birds were recovered and in the care of wildlife officials after the oil spill. They later told CBS LA that 52 birds had been recovered since Friday, 47 of which are still alive and being cared for.
As of Wednesday, the number sits at 79 birds that are still visibly oiled and not doing well. Eleven birds that were collected have either died or been humanely euthanized.
"A little bit sad. They're dehydrated, they're very skinny," said James Sherman, a veterinarian with OWCN. "So, we have teams who are working around the clock to make sure they're getting the care they need. ... Then work on getting them back out to be able to be released into a clean environment."
CDFW officials asked anyone who believes they have found oiled wildlife to contact 1-877-UCD-OWCN. They also urged the public not to approach or attempt to capture the animals, but wait for trained personnel to respond.
