On April 27, a single-hulled barge, owned by Bouchard Transportation Company, spilled 15,000 gallons of fuel oil in Buzzards Bay. Until Wednesday, the direction of the wind and location of the spill kept the contamination in Massachusetts. But a change in weather conditions on Wednesday afternoon pushed some of the oil into Rhode Island waters.
Oil was detected in the waters just off the Westport / Little Compton town line. There were also a few reports of tar balls that washed up on the Little Compton shoreline along Goosewing Beach, and reports of two impacted birds, one in the Little Compton area and another in Newport.
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Recently, the winds had switched back and remained generally out of the south, which would minimize any further impacts to Rhode Island areas. Nonetheless, it is quite possible that more oil-covered birds or other wildlife could show up along the Rhode Island coast, in which case DEM should be immediately notified. Members of the public are strongly advised not to attempt rescue efforts on their own.
R.I. DEM has been assisting in the recovery and cleanup efforts.
Also, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney said Thursday that state taxpayers won’t pay to help clean up
the spill, the Boston Globe reported.
Romney will ask U.S. officials to provide relief to shell
fishermen, the newspaper said. The bay’s $4-million shellfish
industry is on hold until scientists determine if oil has
contaminated the beds of the bay, the Globe reported.
So far, 22 birds have died and another 37 are being cleaned
in New Bedford, the Globe reported.
With information from Bloomberg News
