Oil Washing Up On Delaware Beaches

Yes you read that right, but apparently the oil companies are prepackaging their spills now.  Don’t panic there isn’t oil everywhere … yet.  I just wanted to get your attention.   A few days ago I ran around and checked the tournament beaches to give everyone updates on conditions.  While out there I found a bucket of oil.  A black, sealed, five gallon bucket of Shell SAE forty weight oil, which happens to be the exact oil my lawn tractor uses.  I posted the picture on the Facebook page, took the bucket home, and didn’t give it a second thought.  I was just glad to get a bucket of oil off the beach before it broke open.  I was busy getting ready for the tournament and everything else that distracts us in life.  Two days later another bucket was found on another beach.  These were all found near Conquest and Keybox beaches.  Today Chris Kramer found a five gallon bucket full of hydraulic fluid from Exxon.  So I am putting out this alert to help everyone out, especially the beaches.

No one knows where the buckets came from or if there are more, but they appear relatively new.  The label on the one I found was worn off, but legible.  It is a printed label on a plastic bucket.  If you happen to find a sealed bucket of any fluid on the beach.  Contact a ranger, they are aware of this situation. You could1 take it to be recycled, or take it home if you have a use for it.  If you don’t know how to handle the bucket or can’t carry it, just call the park ranger dispatch number (302) 739-4580 .  They will come collect the bucket, but only on a park beach and  please make sure it is a sealed bucket and not just some bucket laying on the beach, they are busy.  If you are on a town beach contact the local authorities, if you don’t want to handle it.  If someone runs over one of these buckets, punctures one with a shovel trying to dig it up, or the sun heats it up and pops the seal, things will get messy.  Parks or a beach town would have to temporarily close a section of beach to clean it .  I don’t have to tell you how it would affect the fishing.  Hopefully these three buckets are the only ones out there, but I doubt it.

Fish On!!

Rich King