Sacramento park to partly reopen after diesel spill. Dead birds, rabbits among animals found
Wildlife personnel responding to a 5,000-gallon diesel oil release this week at a Sacramento park have recovered more than 25 animals – at least seven of them dead – as parts of the park are expected to reopen to the public this weekend.
The incident affecting Tanzanite Community Park began Monday morning, when a malfunctioning generator at a nearby business complex in the North Natomas area led to an overflow that spilled diesel petroleum by way of storm drainage into the park’s retention pond.
The California Office of Spill Prevention and Response, part of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, first announced the incident Tuesday and said in its initial statement the source had been “stopped,” but that the park would stay closed amid ongoing cleanup efforts.
Spill-response officials in a Friday update said Tanzanite’s skate park and basketball courts will reopen to the public on Saturday.
Other parts of the park will remain closed to the public, cordoned off with yellow tape.
The UC Davis-based Oiled Wildlife Care Network has tracked the status of animals recovered at the park. Animals have been found Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Wildlife workers as of Thursday evening had recovered 22 birds, four of which were dead. Thirteen of the birds were Canada geese.
Also recovered were three mammals: two black-tailed jackrabbits, both dead; and a live American beaver, according to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. One dead fish also was found.
“All reported live animals were visibly oiled, but only a subset of dead animals are visibly oiled,” the network said in a note on its website.
Some of the live animals have been taken to rehabilitation centers, including at least five birds that went to a facility in Fairfield, according to the Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
A hazardous material spill report was filed Monday morning to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. A 10,000-gallon tank for a generator at a building on East Commerce Way sustained a malfunction about 9 a.m. Monday, causing approximately 5,000 gallons of petroleum diesel to “release onto the concrete loading dock and then into a storm drain,” according to the report.
Spill-response workers have used absorbents and vacuum trucks in the cleanup.
“Cleanup crews continue to make progress removing diesel from the pond and the adjacent storm drains,” the Office of Spill Prevention and Response said in a Friday afternoon Facebook post.
