As cleanup of the catastrophic spill on the Delaware River continues, investigators have determined that a 15-foot curved piece of metal pipe is the culprit.
Athos I, a Greek-owned oil tanker, leaked an unknown amount of crude oil into the river and its 12 tributaries on Nov. 26.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which is overseeing the operation, cannot estimate the size of the leak until offloading of the Athos I is complete, said spokesperson Kimberly Smith.
The vessel had been carrying 13.6 million gallons of crude oil — 5 million of which had been offloaded as of Tuesday, the spokesperson said.
Transfer operations should be completed by week’s end.
The errant pipe, which was imbedded in the river’s floor, ripped two large gashes in the hull of Athos I, investigators said Tuesday. Using sonar, a survey team composed of members of the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a private contractor representative for the vessel owner found the object approximately 700 feet from the Citgo refinery dock anchorage area Tuesday, according to the Coast Guard. Athos I was bound for the South Jersey refinery when the accident occurred.
A plan to recover the pipe is in the works.
The area of the river affected by the spill extends from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge in Northeast Philadelphia to Pea Patch Island, just south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, said Smith.
Some 85 miles of shoreline have been impacted by the catastrophe.
Almost 105,900 feet of spill-control booms had been placed around the vessel and along parts of the river to protect sensitive tributaries and marshland from oil exposure.
As of Tuesday, crews had recovered 10,918 gallons of oil/water mixture and 315,000 pounds of oily solids (cleanup materials and oil).
Nearly 4,000 additional gallons have evaporated through natural means.
Wildlife rehabilitation experts reported that 164 oiled birds had been recovered — 80 were dead and 84 have been cleaned.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at 86th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard in Southwest Philly has been serving as a processing center for dead and oiled waterfowl — mostly Canada geese. Rescued wildlife are brought to the refuge, where they are photographed, logged and then sent to Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, Del.
Immediately after the accident, the wildlife refuge received phone calls from residents who had reported seeing a half-dozen oiled Canada geese among a flock congregated on the foot of the Philly side of the Walt Whitman Bridge, noted Heinz spokesperson Bill Buchanan. Some affected geese even have been spotted in FDR Park, he added.
Once calls come in, rescue teams are dispatched as soon as possible, but often the birds don’t stick around long enough for their arrival — and the ones that do are hard to capture, said the spokesperson.
"Even a goose that is oiled moderately will still make an attempt to escape human capture," Buchanan explained. "They don’t know we are trying to help them. They will be very elusive."
The Coast Guard has asked that the public not attempt to handle or clean affected wildlife. To report oiled wildlife, call 215-365-1558.
