Officials in Baltimore are warning locals to avoid the vicinity of the city's harbor, as cleanup efforts are underway following a large oil spill.
What's happening?
According to The Washington Post, spokespeople for Johns Hopkins Hospital disclosed an incident in Baltimore Harbor on the morning of June 4.
They described it as a "contained," 200-gallon oil spill. But by 7 p.m., "Hopkins said the spill was uncontained and had reached 2,000 gallons," WBAL reported.
A WBAL reporter noticed an "overwhelming gas odor" at the scene of the spill. The diesel was dyed a bright red color, staining the water, and Johns Hopkins issued a statement later that night.
"Earlier today, during [a] routine fuel delivery by a third-party vendor, two diesel tanks [used to power] backup generators for our patient care facilities at Johns Hopkins in East Baltimore were accidentally overfilled, causing overflow," Hopkins began.
The facility reached out to Maryland's Department of the Environment to report the spill. "We also are actively working with local, state, and federal authorities to support the response in the Baltimore Inner Harbor," the statement continued.
Why is the Baltimore Harbor oil spill concerning?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency defines anything under 5,000 gallons as a "small oil spill" — but there are still adverse consequences to lower volume incidents.
"Diesel is one of the most acutely toxic oil types. Fish and invertebrates that come in direct contact with naturally dispersed and entrained diesel in the water column may be killed," the NOAA said, adding that no fish kills had been reported previously.
"Where larger amounts of diesel soak into wetland soils, expect high mortality of animals and plants," the agency added.
Small oil spills endanger marine birds, cause shellfish to become tainted, and contaminate sediment and rocky habitats.
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Definitely 🥰 What's being done about the Baltimore oil spill?
Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace spoke at a press conference on Thursday, June 5. Wallace described round-the-clock cleanup efforts and intensive skimming to filter the diesel out.
"It's approximately 100 yards wide by about 250 yards long. We have it contained within this particular footprint as we flush upstream. We're going to bring product down. We're going to bring it into this area. But the strategy has been contained where we're at right now," he said.
Department of the Environment representative Jeff Dorney said that crews used tide and storm drain data to minimize the impact of the diesel spill on Baltimore Harbor. Dorney said the cleanup teams assessed "the storm drain maps so … that we knew where it was going to come out and there were no unexpected consequences there."
The Coast Guard responded to the oil spill to assist with cleanup, WBAL said.
While having a backup power source is crucial for medical facilities, there are myriad ways to reduce our reliance on dirty fuels, which can wreak havoc on public health and the environment. In California, one medical center's microgrid is powered by renewable energy, and battery storage provides the necessary juice during power outages. Switching to an EV is one money-saving way to act on an individual level, and cumulatively reduces demand for dirty fuel.
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