Delaware Bay Oil spill: Cleanup wrapping up after more than 75 tons of debris collected

Two weeks after spilled oil first came ashore at Broadkill Beach in Delaware, state and federal teams are beginning to wrap up a cleanup effort that has come to extend for nearly 60 miles of coastline in two states.

Globs of oil are still washing up on some beaches, but the amounts are getting smaller and smaller, wrote the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in a news release.

To date, cleanup crews have collected more than 75 tons of oily debris and tar balls from the affected area, which extends from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, to Ocean City, Maryland.

The source of the oil spill remains under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard, the release states. 

With less oil washing up, it has come time for the cleanup team — which at its height consisted of about 100 federal, state and private staff members — to assess whether more work needs to be done, the release states.

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“We have good reason to believe from our on-scene monitoring that the clearance of oil and cleanup efforts of oily debris from the beaches are largely complete," said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin in a statement. "I would like to emphasize that people may continue to see small bits of oil or oily debris coming ashore here and there."

The public is asked to report any "sizeable" portions of oil or oily debris on the sand or in the water, as well as any oiled wildlife, to their respective state agencies, the release states. 

For reports concerning the Delaware coastline, call DNREC’s toll-free environmental hotline at 800-662-8802. For reports concerning the Maryland coastline, call the Maryland Department of the Environment at 866-633-4686.

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“At the end of the day, every person associated with this response effort is striving for the best possible outcome for affected areas and their residents," said USCG Lt. Cmdr. Fredrick Pugh, federal incident commander for the response, in a statement. "With that in common, we will make intelligent determinations, zone by zone, that prioritize human safety, protection of wildlife and preservation of the environment.”