ODNR: Cooking oil spill in Cuyahoga River kills hundreds of birds

CLEVELAND -- The U.S. Coast Guard continues to search for the source of a food-based oil spill in the Cuyahoga River after approximately 200 birds were found dead Friday morning and another 100 to 200 had to be euthanized. Photos

Dan Kramer, of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, told Channel 3 News that the ring-billed gulls were caught up in a "non-petroleum, possible waste food" oil slick in the river.

Kramer said the area there along the river is a nesting place for about 3,000 adult gulls and about 6,000 juvenile gulls. The juvenile gulls were in the water when the slick began to cover them and are the ones that were affected.

Kramer said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was investigating and wants anyone with information on the source of the oil to call (330) 963-1191.

Late Friday, the Ohio EPA said the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District contacted EPA officials Wednesday to report that a oily substance was pouring into the river out of a storm sewer near the Kingsbury Run tributary.

NEORSD employees used oil/trash containment booms to contain and collect the oil, but some leaked out and got into the river.

This incident comes only days after the 40th celebration of the Cuyahoga River's re-birth after pollution nearly destroyed the river back in 1969.

Monday was the 40th anniversary of the day Cleveland garnered national attention when an oil spill on the river caught fire, with headlines nationwide blaring, "River Catches Fire in Cleveland."

The Coast Guard received the latest oil spill report from the ODW about 9 a.m. Friday.

The Cleveland Marine Safety Unit sent two investigation teams, one aboard a boat from the Coast Guard Station's Cleveland Harbor, and another on land along the river, to assist the distressed animals and search for a possible pollution source.

The birds were taken aboard the boat to a site at Station Cleveland Harbor, where the DOW was assisting with the cleanup.