Stark Parks rehabilitates geese after Barberton oil spill

Abreanna Blose, The Repository
·2 min read
Stark Parks staff and volunteers work to clean a goose covered in oil. About 24 geese were brought to the Stark Parks Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township after a spill in Barberton.
Stark Parks staff and volunteers work to clean a goose covered in oil. About 24 geese were brought to the Stark Parks Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township after a spill in Barberton.

When 40 to 50 geese were found covered in oil, staff at the Stark Parks Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township came to the rescue.

After an oil spill July 6 in the Tuscarawas River in Barberton, the Conservation Center, at 800 Genoa Ave., took in 24 geese for rehabilitation.

According to a report from the Akron Beacon Journal, the incident occurred when Noble Oil Services was transferring oil from a tanker truck to a rail car at a property near Wolf Creek in Barberton.

More: Oil spill cleanup in Tuscarawas River underway in Barberton: What we know

Nearly 50 geese were discovered covered in oil after a spill in Tuscarawas River in Barberton. Some of the geese were transferred to Stark Parks' Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township to be cleaned.
Nearly 50 geese were discovered covered in oil after a spill in Tuscarawas River in Barberton. Some of the geese were transferred to Stark Parks' Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township to be cleaned.

Ohio EPA spokesperson Dina Pierce said oil spilled into a storm sewer that drains into the river. Noble Oil hired a contractor to install containment infrastructure and remove oil from the river.

The spill did not have any effect on Barberton’s water supply. It was discovered when a biker on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Barberton noticed an oily sheen on the surface of the water passing under the large suspension bridge southeast of the Wolf Creek Trailhead.

After several days, even though a boom was placed into the water to attempt to catch the oil, geese and a muskrat were found to be drenched in oil, with the geese unable to fly and the muskrat unable to walk. Insect and fish populations seemed to have taken a hit as well.

Staff and volunteers at Stark Parks' Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township work to bathe geese covered in oil. The geese, which were found covered in oil after a spill in Barberton, had to be washed up to five times in soapy water to remove all the oil.
Staff and volunteers at Stark Parks' Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township work to bathe geese covered in oil. The geese, which were found covered in oil after a spill in Barberton, had to be washed up to five times in soapy water to remove all the oil.

The Conservation Center's animal care supervisor, Stephon Echague, said each goose needed at least five separate baths to safely remove the oil in layers.

Staff and volunteers tirelessly cleaned the birds and nursed nearly all the birds back to health. One goose did not survive.

However, there were some happy endings. On Tuesday, 16 geese were safely released at the Deer Creek Reservoir in Alliance.

Echague says the remaining geese are being evaluated and are likely to be released soon.

Stark Parks volunteers and staff worked to rehabilitate geese after an oil spill in Barberton. Some of the ducks then were safely released in Deer Creek Reservoir in Alliance.
Stark Parks volunteers and staff worked to rehabilitate geese after an oil spill in Barberton. Some of the ducks then were safely released in Deer Creek Reservoir in Alliance.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark Parks' Wildlife Conservation Center cleans geese after Barberton oil spill