| January 2008, Issue 13 |
| LightHawk's monthly update, WayPoint, was created to share some of the good news we on staff learn about daily. These success stories illustrate the critical role we play in conservation efforts throughout North and Central America through the unique perspective of flight. We hope you enjoy WayPoint and will share with others our success stories from above. |
LightHawk Responds to San Francisco Bay Oil Spill ThreatOne of LightHawk’s many strengths is our ability to quickly respond to serious threats and provide the essential aerial perspective that can help mitigate environmental disaster. When a tanker ship struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge last November, LightHawk responded immediately. The spill represents the worst in environmental tragedy and the best in what LightHawk can do. The ship’s collision tore a 160 foot long gash in the tanker containing tens of thousands of gallons of toxic bunker oil – a particularly polluting viscous oil used by ocean-going ships. In an instant, 58,000 gallons of the oil poured into San Francisco Bay. An oil spill quickly contained is a disaster, but one with limited, even manageable impact. If responders are able get to it quickly, determine where it is spreading, and assess what is needed to contain the spill, impacts can be mitigated. But for every minute the tendrils of oil spread, weeks are added to the clean up schedule and years are added to the length of time impacts will be experienced. State, federal and local agencies initiated official spill response procedures at once, and thousands of volunteers raced against time and tide to protect the shoreline. LightHawk’s assistance also was requested, by San Francisco’s Save the Bay, and we responded, getting to the air as soon as was possible to support the agencies and volunteers fighting in the surf and on the beaches. Volunteer Pilot David McConnell was at the airport ready to go within a half-hour of receiving the flight request from LightHawk staff. The elements were working against clean up efforts, however, making the aerial perspective all the more critical. Winds and swift currents quickly spread the toxic oil, killing hundreds of birds and other sea life and soiling beaches in Marin County, San Francisco, San Mateo County and the East Bay shoreline from San Leandro to Richmond. The oily grip of the spill reached as far south as Santa Cruz threatening shorebirds, seals and other marine mammals that inhabit the rocky coast.  Workers collect oil soaked debris for removal just north of the San Francisco bridge. Rob Badger |
Our role involved flying professional photographer Rob Badger to photograph the spill, track its impact, and help direct cleaning and skimming crews. With the benefit of the aerial perspective Rob’s lens captured the entirety of the spill, providing the spill response team, Save the Bay and the public with timely information. Aerial photographs gathered through LightHawk and Mr. Badger also are assisting state agencies and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) with damage assessment. Photos taken on the three flights we provided can be compared against baseline data gathered through NOAA and Save the Bay monitoring projects and will be invaluable in informing decisions about clean up and recovery plans, including who should be held responsible financially for damage caused by the spill. Quote From The Flight “Within 7 hours of hearing about an oil spill in San Francisco Bay I was up in the air with David McConnell a long-time LightHawk pilot. Twenty-four hours later, graphic images of the spill taken from the air were on a major stock and news photography website, and a day after that, were on the website of the non-profit organization, “Save San Francisco Bay.” Once again I saw that the only way to truly show the magnitude of an oil Spill (or many other environmental disasters) and its impact on the water and land is to record it from the air. Not only is a higher vantage point better, with an aircraft I could go directly and quickly to where I needed to be to make the images that were the undeniable evidence of what was happening. The three flights I made with LightHawk pilots gave me a much greater appreciation of the Bay and ocean that I have spent years photographing on the ground, and strengthened my resolve to do what I can to preserve the natural beauty and life I love and see everyday.” -- Rob Badger, Photographer |
About LightHawk
Founded in 1979, LightHawk is a nonprofit, volunteer pilot-based organization that flies environmental missions in collaboration with with a large network of pilots and hundreds of partner organizations throughout Central and North America. LightHawk flights provide a powerful and effective platform for research, groundtruthing, environmental awareness and education.
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Tel.: (307) 332-3242
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Email: info@lighthawk.org
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