SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Bethany Beach is the latest beach to close as a result of the oil spill, which started at Broadkill Beach almost two weeks ago.
Crews put netting out across the beach entrances to stop people from going out on the dunes. Bethany Mayor Rosemary Hardiman said it was a difficult decision, but needed to be done for the safety of the citizens and their animals.
As Bethany Beach closes, Lewes Mayor Ted Becker said his beach is close to reopening.
He said, "I will make an assessment probably tomorrow. But I think it's very close, uh, the fact that, it's very sad that it has gone so far down the coastline, uh, but that does, uh, should indicate that we are seeing less and less of an issue here."
The Coast Guard has confirmed, it was a heavy fuel oil that was spilled. Mayor Becker said we need to know the source.
"Everybody wants to know the source of the problem so it can be corrected. Obviously, this is a very costly endeavor to clean up," Baker said.
But luckily, the Coast Guard says the money is not coming from the towns' budgets.
"The funds for our cleanup efforts are coming from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund that was established by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The fund is not in anyway tied to taxpayer dollars. Instead, it is tied to industry, production, and also the fines and penalties that are levied against individuals that are found in violation of that act," said Incident Commander Fredrick Pugh.
Even though the costs are covered federally, Bethany Beach Mayor Hardiman says without knowing the source, there's always the threat of more oil.
She said, "Because of the uncertainty, once they get the beaches cleaned up and everything, there's no certainty that it won't reoccur. So, without knowing the source, no one can be sure of that."
The Coast Guard says their Connecticut research facility has received three more oil samples, but do not yet have a ship with a matching oil fingerprint.
DNREC and the Coast Guard's cleanup crews will not be on the beaches Thursday or Friday, as storms from Tropical Depression Zeta are expected to bring high winds and lightning.
The Coast Guard says it will reevaluate and continue the cleaning on Saturday morning.
