Remnants of oil removed from beach
The removal of oil along Boca Chica Beach and South Padre Island ended on Saturday.
Workers, from the Environmental Protection Agency and Harlingen’s Chemical Response and Remediation Contractors, were seen removing the remnants of the oil that washed ashore last week.
On Wednesday morning tourists spotted oil along the shore of Boca Chica Beach, which the oil hit the hardest among area beaches.
"We got as much oil as we could off the beach," said U.S. Coast Guard spokesman David Deases, while watching the clean up crew remove the last of the oil along Boca Chica Beach.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which has been monitoring the situation by flying over the Gulf of Mexico, said no more oil had been seen floating offshore.
Fifty-four 55 gallon barrels of oil were removed from Boca Chica Beach and South Padre Island as of Friday morning, while the number of barrels collected for Saturday’s total was still being calculated.
"So far we have collected fifty-four 55 gallon barrels of oil, 6-cubic-yard boxes of tar balls," Deases continued. "And we just found 12 more yards of tar balls that will be boxed today (Saturday)."
The oil and tar balls will be sent to Robstown or Corpus Christi to be properly recycled, Deases added.
There were approximately 20 workers from the EPA and CRRC removing the oil from the shore along Boca Chica Beach on Saturday.
Workers finished cleaning up oil on South Padre Island on Saturday before going to Boca Chica Beach.
CRRC trucks were seen driving the last of the removed oil from Boca Chica Beach.
Numerous organizations contributed to the four-day cleanup, including the Texas General Land Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the South Padre Island Fire Department, Cameron County Public Works, the CRRC, the U.S. Coast Guard, and South Padre Island Public Works.
Authorities continue search for what caused the release of oil and chemical testing continued.
The Associated Press reported that at least one bird was killed by the oil.
