Tar Balls Wash Up On Pacifica Beaches

The Coast Guard is trying to track the source of oil and tar balls which washed up on two miles of beaches in Pacifica over the weekend.

Twenty birds were found coated with oil – and only eight were still alive. They´re being treated by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. The oily balls are up to three inches in diameter.

A contractor has been hired to clean up the mess – and the search for injured wildlife continues.

The oil will be tested and compared to known sources. That includes the S-S Jacob Luckenbach – a freighter that sank 17 miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge back in 1953. Efforts are being made to drain oil left aboard the Luckenbach. It´s been blamed for a series of oil slicks and tar balls which have killed thousands of birds over the years.