The base is scheduled to be turned over to the city when it is declared surplus by the military. Remarkably, technologies to clean up fuel and oil spills are quite primitive. Absorbent pads floating on the water are the most common cleanup approach used, but this captures only a small fraction of the toxic material spilled. Some evaporates, becoming an air pollutant while some of it coats beaches and wildlife. Countless animals slowly die from these spills.
Fish are unable to breathe or are poisoned.
Animals such as the sea otter, that rely on their fur to keep them warm, die from ingesting the oil as they desperately attempt to clean their fur. Millions of oil covered birds die as they loose their ability to fly or to keep warm. Our ground water, drinking water and fish resources become contaminated as well. Each day, millions and millions of boaters spill fuel into our oceans and waterways when they fill their fuel tanks. In our information saturated world, it is challenging for urban dwellers to fully see the impact of individual actions.