Emergency cleanup required for Bronx River oil spill

An estimated 1,000 gallons of oil were leaked into the Bronx River on April 1. The cleanup took about 10 days.

Con Edison leaked the oil into the river in Yonkers and, within two hours, cleanup had begun. Despite the quick response, oil was spotted as far down the river as Fordham Road.

The spilled oil is classified as a non-hazardous insulating fluid used by the electrical company as a coolant.

While the Bronx River Alliance is not directly involved with the cleanup, its role in protecting and restoring the Bronx River makes this incident members’ concern.

Christian Murphy, ecology coordinator with the Bronx River Alliance, said the nonprofit stayed in the loop with the cleanup to coordinate between agencies and keep stakeholders up to date on progress.

The oil is described as lightweight, so it typically will float along the river’s surface, but sections of turbulent flow could result in the oil mixing further into the water and sticking to rocks and other part of the riverbed.

Part of the oil cleanup involved booms, which were described by Murphy as “very big pool noodles.” The booms are buoyant and stretch across the river to collect anything floating along the surface while allowing the river to continue flowing underneath. There are two types of booms, one is meant to stop debris and other surface-level contaminants from flowing down the river. The other is absorbent, and, in this case, helps absorb some of the oil, making it easier for the crews to collect oil from the surface.

The oil spilled can be broken down with the help of sunlight, so the hope for the Bronx River Alliance is that any oil that gets past the cleanup area will be broken down by the sun. Murphy said last week’s heavy rain most likely pushed some of the oil out as far as the East River, into which the Bronx River empties, though any oil travelling that far would be heavily diluted by the water.

Murphy said although the oil is classified as non-hazardous it doesn’t mean it can’t be harmful for water foul and other wildlife. If oil gets onto a bird’s feathers, it can affect the ability to fly or, if they then try to clean their feathers, and ingest the oil. Murphy said he can’t imagine eating the oil would be good for the birds but there is no data on what damage it can or has done.

To date, Murphy said, there have been no reports of harmed wildlife from last week’s spill.

The state department of environmental conservation supervised the cleanup with its dedicated emergency response team. The department anticipated needing 10 days for clean-up, which was finished as of Friday, April 12.

“We were frustrated to see the situation happen but we’re happy the DEC responded quickly because we know this is an extra sensitive time for our wildlife,” Murphy said.

The extra sensitive time to which Murphy referred is the oil spill’s overlap with migration. Migratory fish are starting to work their way up river around this time. The geese and ducks that inhabit the area are also having their babies during this early spring, earlier than songbirds.

The Bronx River is teeming with wildlife. The ecosystem supports ducks and geese year-round.

The river is also home to several migratory aquatic species including the freshwater American eel, striped bass, river herring, and sunfish. Several different species of turtles and muskrats also live in the waterway along this stretch.

Animals like the American eel have been spotted recently in the portion of the river currently contaminated.  The American eel can live up to 25 years and migrate up freshwater streams and rivers to live out most of its life before returning to the ocean to spawn and restart the cycle.

To assist the eel in its migratory process, a fish ladder was installed in the river by 182nd Street in River Park. The waterfall in that spot made it difficult for fish and eels to make it upstream.

Other wildlife spotted throughout portions of the river include blue crabs, eastern oysters, beavers, and egrets.