It was morning when I noticed a pair of wood ducks flapping their wings near our shore and yet for some reason not flying. They just flapped and paddled their wings on the water. The ice had let out of the pond almost a week before and many waterfowl had been moving through. No sign of loons yet and there was a dusting of fresh snow. I’d never seen ducks act quite like that before.
Our power was out because of the storm, as were most of Bremen and much of the coast. There were trees down, wires down, roads closed, and roads flooded. This had been an historic storm the like of which we are told to expect with more frequency. The ducks appeared to be in trouble. I went for a closer examination.
With having only taken a few steps toward the pond I was struck with a strong aroma. This was a smell that was so familiar, yet far out of place by the shore of Webber Pond. The closer I approached the pond, the more concentrated the toxic sent. It reminded me of paint thinner. I had a terrible feeling and the wood ducks did not look right.
I now saw the problem; or at least part of it. There, creating a horrible, iridescent slick on the surface of the pond, as far as I could see, lay a film of oil. Oil, as far as I could see on the pond! Oil was actually and unbelievably in dear, pristine Webber Pond. I felt a sickness I find hard to express in words. I’ll never forget the moment of dread when I realized there was no practical way this environmental tragedy could be undone. I needed to make a phone call.
The Maine DEP response team arrived by early afternoon. They were quick to determine the slick was caused by kerosene or #2 fuel oil. We immediately began to seek the source. A pink colored tinge to the snow along part of the waters edge eventually led the team to the cause.
A single gallon of kerosene will kill fish in one million gallons of water. In more dilute forms it will cause cancers in reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish. You don’t want to know what it will do to people exposed to it long term. The water in Webber would likely not recover for decades if as much as 20 gallons of fuel oil made it into it. It was a horrible discovery when the MEDEP team member found the empty 125 gallon fuel tank with a severed fuel line. This was at a summer camp and the line was simply cut by a limb falling from a tree during the storm. This was a completely preventable misfortune. The wood ducks would likely die. I knew more wildlife would as well.
The above scenario did not actually happen…..yet. It is still waiting to happen or it might still be prevented. It’s our choice. Of all the burdens we place on Webber by living on its shore, I fear fuel spills the most. A cheap fix could prevent an accident like this. Your fuel company can install guards over the fuel line. Covering the tank entirely with a solid structure is better still. Are there trees over your fuel tank? Still better would be to move the tank inside. Ideally, eliminating fuel oils from your pond side property is best. Propane or fire wood are quite LakeSmart fuels.
What is LakeSmart? It is a Maine Department of Environmental Protection program designed to improve water quality in Maine’s ponds. We are fortunate to have a few trained property inspectors in Bremen. Several properties on Webber Pond were inspected last summer and 2 properties won the coveted LakeSmart award. These proud LakeSmart property owners are Steve and Jo Laurich and Bob Wheeler. We’d love to see more properties inspected this summer.
A little shy about an inspection? It is painless, anonymous, voluntary, and free. It is more of an informational meeting than judgment. The inspections look for a good vegetative buffer between your property and the water. They will look at outside fuel storage and a cursory look at your septic system (this will come with a reminder to pump your tank every 2-3 years). Driveways and paths will be scrutinized as they contribute to siltation. Short grass lawns are frowned upon. Perhaps the least we could do is to take a small quiet step to reduce our impact on the pond this summer.
I am not an inspector and would however be happy to share with you what I have learned. http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/doclake/lakesmart/
Contributing Writer - David Wilkins
1 comment:
I had no idea so little kerosene could do such a significant amount of harm. Really makes you think!
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