Oil Spill Washes Up On Park Lands

An oil spill shut down a 12-mile stretch of the Savannah River and part of the Intracoastal Waterway on Monday, with oil visible from the Savannah area to the Atlantic beaches of Tybee Island. Some of the approximately 5,000 gallons in the spill washed up in the park, which is located along the river and just a few miles upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. With the exception of about 250 acres on Cockspur Island and another 200 acres on McQueens Island, the 5,400-acre park consists of tidal marshes and mud flats that are subject to daily inundation from a six- to ten-foot tide. Park staff inspected the shoreline on Tuesday. Patches of dark, shiny black oil covered portions of the rocks and grass along the high tide line at the eastern tip of Cockspur Island – as thick and extensive as any seen along the length of the Savannah River. Oil was found to have spread inland on the island from ten to fifty feet. Patches of oily grass and rock extended along the Savannah River from Cockspur to just beyond Elba Island. The impact of the spill was much greater on the southern shore of the river’s north channel than on the north shore. Little oil contamination was found along the south channel. The Coast Guard deployed large booms to try and corral the oil and began an investigation to determine the spill’s source. The river was reopened to ship traffic late on Monday. Cleanup efforts are underway.