Hurricane Gustav Creates Numerous Small Oil Spills in the Gulf -- Response Team Works to Save Oiled Brown Pelicans

September 30, 2008 Contacts: Tom MacKenzie, FWS, (678) 296-6400, Tom_MacKenzie@fws.gov At least 33 oil spills ranging from simple sheens to 8000 gallons plagued Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. Most of the oil spills were sheens, not slicks, so were of minimal wildlife concern. Although not as severe an impact as the eight million gallons spills resulting from the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, one Hurricane Gustav incident coated numerous brown pelicans. This Breton Sound spill 25 miles northwest of Breton National Wildlife Refuge was only 20 barrels -- small in relation to most spills -- yet it oiled about 20 brown pelicans, 10 severely. The US Coast Guard called Environmental Contaminants Specialist Buddy Goatcher, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lafayette Ecological Services Office, for technical assistance late Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. Pelican rescue operations were planned for the next morning. Goatcher contacted pilot Reggie Fontenot of Southern Helicopters to secure a Bell Long Ranger L3 helicopter, the tool of choice for low-level wildlife work. Fontenot, with more than 32 years flying experience, has worked with the Service on National Wildlife Refuge System prescribed fires and wildfires, and has worked with Goatcher on oil spills for at least ten of those years. Fortunately, the right helicopter and pilot were available, in spite of the great demand for helicopters by FEMA, and private needs following Gustavs impact. Goatcher and Fontenot have ...
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www.nwf.org - Brown pelicans on the road to recovery at Fort Jackson Wildlife Rehabilitation Center sit in an outside pen
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