Efforts to relocate cormorants from the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is a $30 million plus headache. (1)
The new eastern span of the bridge, which crosses the San Francisco Bay between Yerba Buena Island and Emeryville, was officially opened in September 2013. However, some 800 cormorants and other birds aren't ready to let go of the old eastern span which is being demolished.
As crews demolish the 10,000 foot long steel structure where the birds roost, they've had to navigate around broadly interpreted state and federal environmental laws designed to protect the feathered critters.
“We are not going to argue with the law—the issue is often the interpretation of it,” said Randy Rentschler, spokesman for the Bay Ara Toll Authority, which is overseeing the tear-down. “And the fact is, the bridge construction has suffered tens of millions of cost overruns and months of delay as these (enforcement) agencies have interpreted the regulations.” (2)
Caltrans, the agency in charge, saw the problem coming, and spent about a half a million dollars building small platforms into the new span. They are being called cormorant 'condos,' designed as a place where the birds can make a new home. But birds of a feather are apparently picky about where they flock together. Their 'condos' are little 2-1/2 foot wide units that folks are trying to get the birds to move in. Caltrans has even stacked them with former Christmas tree reefs to get them to use it as nesting, but the birds like it where they are at present. (1)
Officials have been trying to convince the birds to make the move for about 2 years but now they are running out of time. Caltrans has speeded up the demolition to get the work done before next spring nesting season. That speedup comes with a $12.5 million price tag. If the work isn't done by spring, demolition will have to stop during the upcoming nesting season. The relocation project could require more than $17 million more to resolve compliance with state requirements, leaving the total price tag at more than $30 million. (1)
What's more, to comply with its federal permit, Caltrans agreed to send any displaced chicks and eggs to the International Bird Rescue Center in Fairfield, CA, for foster care until the birds are old enough to be released. (2)
Caltrans spokeswoman Leah Robinson-Leach says the agency is just trying to abide by the 'very restrictive' requirements of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the California Fish and Game code. “There are penalties if we don't adhere to them.” (2)
In fact, the birds aren't the only creatures that have gotten special attention. Early on, crews building the $6.4 billion new eastern span had to use 'bubble curtains' to protect fish and marine animals from the deafening sound of underwater pile drivers. (3)
Contrast this massive expenditure with the 'free ride' granted to wind farms and solar installations which kill birds and other creatures.
A legal double standard exists with regard to enforcement of two of America's oldest wildlife-protection laws, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (mentioned above) enacted in 1918, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act enacted in 1940. Over the past few decades, the Interior Department and the Fish and Wildlife Service have brought hundreds of suits against the oil and gas industry, as well as the electricity-utility sector for unauthorized bird kills. (4)
In 2012 alone, wind turbines killed 888,000 bats and 573,000 birds. Yet, despite the widespread evidence of bird kills by wind turbines, only one enforcement action against the wind industry has occurred. That move, which came last November, led Duke Energy to pay $1 million to settle criminal charges related to bird kills at two Wyoming projects. The Duke facility had killed some 14 golden eagles and 149 other protected birds. (4)
Recently, the American Bird Conservancy filed suit in federal court against the Department of the Interior (DOI), charging DOI with multiple violations of federal law in connection with its December 9, 2013 final regulation that allows wind energy companies and others to obtain 30-year permits to kill eagles without prosecution by the federal government. (5)
Regarding birds and solar, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a 2.2 billion solar project in the Mojave Desert, roasts thousands of birds from concentrated sun rays from the mirrors. (6) once again, no fines.
Perhaps Caltrans could install mini-windmills or solar panels on the bridge span. Then they would be exempt from fines regarding birds.
Too bad the $30 million plus that is being spent on the cormorants couldn't be spent on the multitude of homeless and indigents one sees in San Francisco around Union Square, on Market Street, and many other locations.
References
- “Relocation of birds from old Bay Bridge could soar to more than $30 million,” sanfrancisco.co.cbslocal.com, September 29, 2014
- Philip Matier and Andrew Ross, “Spending soars higher on relocation of Bay Bridge's birds,” sfgate.com, September 29, 2014
- Philip Matier and Andrew Ross, “Caltrans scrambles to lure cormorants to new Bay Bridge span,” sfgate.com, April 7, 2014
- Robert Bryce, “Gambling with eagles,” robertbryce.com, May 6, 2014
- Robert Johns, “American Bird Conservancy sue fed over 30-year eagle kill rule,” abcbirds.org, June 19, 2014
Anthony Watts, “A birds-eye view of birds scorching Ivanpah solar electric power plant,” wattsupwiththat.com, August 18, 2014
