BROOKLINE, Mass. —
Environmental cleanup efforts are underway Monday after oil spilled into the Muddy River in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Experts estimate that about 100 gallons of what is believed to be home heating oil spilled into the river Sunday.
The Brookline Fire Department called state environmental protection officials at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday after discovering the oil near the Longwood MBTA station.
Officials believe it's home heating oil based on the color and smell. However, they don't know the source of the spill.
New England Wildlife said it rescued and cleaned about 15 ducks and geese that were covered in oil.
"It can definitely impact sensitive environmental receptors. Microbiomes and stuff like that can be impacted, though it really depends on the quantity and how long the oil is in the water," said Max Scott of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Officials are investigating outfalls and drainage points to figure out the source of the spill. Crews will continue to put materials into the water to absorb the oil.
New England wildlife officials will also return to Brookline to check if any more animals need to be rescued and cleaned.
"We're trying to rescue the most critically injured ones, get them back to our hospital where our veterinary teams can care for them, and hopefully get them back to the wild," said New England Wildlife CEO Zak Mertz.
Mertz said so far New England Wildlife has rescued more than 20 birds covered in oil.
"Birds have natural oil, and when you add a foreign substance like heating oil, it can break their waterproofing, so a bird that used to be able to fly and thermoregulate and float really well, all of a sudden can't do any of those things."
The birds will now have to go through a multi-step washing process and then weeks of observation before they can be released back into the wild.
This, unfortunately, isn't the first time animals have had to be rescued from pollution in the Muddy River.
Lisa Kumph with the Charles River Watershed Association said the Muddy River has the most pollution of any tributary of the Charles.
"This oil spill is just the latest of offensives to this tributary of the Charles," Kumph said. "Rainfall that falls on our roof and our roads gets into the pipes underground which brings all of the pollution on our roofs and roads with it and goes directly into our waterways."
The Charles River Watershed Association said it is working on a vision plan to address the decades of pollution.
Locals who frequently walk along the Muddy River said they hope to see it get restored to how it was before the oil spill.
"It's easy to walk through here, and it's very beautiful and serene," Jamaica Plain resident Nancy Sableski said. "So I really hope that there's a plan to restore this to how it was before the spill."