In the first test of legislation aimed at protecting wildlife from non-oil spills like the one that killed hundreds of birds in San Francisco Bay in January, Assembly Bill 718 today was approved by the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee by a 6-2 vote. The bill is co-authored by State Sen. Mark Leno, State Sen. Loni Hancock, and Assembly Member Bill Dodd. Audubon California is co-sponsoring the bill with San Francisco Baykeeper.

“While California has one of the best systems to respond to marine oil spills in the country, non-oil spills still fall into the cracks with regard to funding and protocols,” said Jordan Wellwood, Audubon California’s San Francisco Bay program director. “Senate Bill 718 creates clear funding mechanisms and guidelines on how we can best help birds and other wildlife during these non-oil spills like the one that killed so many waterbirds in San Francisco Bay.”

Legislators drafted SB 718 after a mysterious substance – dubbed by the press “mystery goo” – spilled into San Francisco Bay in January, killing more than 300 birds, and injuring hundreds more. The bill fixes a gap in existing law, creating a funding mechanism for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation during such rare events.

SB 718 authorizes the Office of Spill Prevention and Response to borrow up to $500,000 from the state’s Oil Spill Response Trust Fund for the rehabilitation and rescue of wildlife in spill events where the substance is non-petroleum based. The bill gives the state clear authority to quickly respond to these events. Once the responsible parties for the spills are found, they would be required to reimburse the state for the costs of cleanup, including accrued interest.

"Seeing all those birds suffering after the January spill was heartbreaking,” said Wellwood, who volunteered with the International Bird Rescue while that organization was rehabilitating a number of the effected marine birds. “We really need to make sure that responders get the resources they need to help the birds and identify the people behind these kinds of dangerous spills.”

About Audubon California 

Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. With more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local Audubon chapters, Audubon California is a field program of the National Audubon Society. More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.