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NRG: About 90 geese die following fuel spill

September 16, 2021

A fuel spill at NRG’s Indian River power plant last week resulted in the death of about 90 resident Canada geese near the site.

“NRG regrets the impact this spill has had on a resident flock of Canadian geese,” said Dave Schrader, spokesman for NRG. “NRG is deeply appreciative of the Tri-State Bird Rescue and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for managing that portion of the response.”

Sgt. Brooke Mitchell of the Division of Fish and Wildlife said more than 110 geese were transported to the Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark for treatment.

“We’re advising the public if they encounter waterfowl in the area that appear to be incapacitated by the NRG diesel fuel spill to call our toll-free environmental hotline at 800-662-8802 to report the birds’ location, so they can be caught and treated by to Tri-State Bird Rescue,” she said.

No one at Tri-State Bird Rescue could be reached for comment, but Schrader said, about 130 geese were impacted by a diesel spill Sept. 8. About 30,000 gallons of fuel spilled after a pressurized hose detached; a DNREC Emergency Response Team, together with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, oversaw its cleanup.

“NRG takes protecting the environment and complying with all environmental regulations seriously. The emergency response phase is over, but we continue to work closely with multiple agencies to ensure the spill is completely cleaned up and that there are no additional impacts. We have made great progress already, as a significant amount of diesel fuel has been recovered and removed. We’re confident the oil is confined to our property and has not entered waterways or public lands,” Schrader said.

 

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