thoreau

Two training sessions for volunteers who want to clean beaches in the Bay Area will be held Saturday at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park (north through the Lincoln Way and Ninth Avenue entrance). The first session runs from 8 a.m. to noon; the second from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Department of Fish & Game and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide training to certify volunteers for participation in San Francisco and Bay Area beach cleanups. The training will include instruction and safety guidelines necessary for successful cleanup of beach-related hazardous waste operations. The certification training will allow volunteers to take part in organized beach cleanups for the duration of the recovery effort. Volunteers who participate in beach cleanups must be able to lift five pounds and be comfortable working on their feet for extended periods.

and if you are outside the bay area and are wondering "what oil spill?" - a tanker collided with one of the support structures on the bay bridge spilling 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel oil into the bay. In Katrina-esque fashion - the Coast Guard has made a total mess of the cleanup and containment effort. click here for a graphic from this morning's chronicle showing the extent of oily beaches and it's affect on wildlife