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Thousands of gallons of oil are gone from the East River, but no one knows how much is left—or where it’s leaking from.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Federal and Georgia state officials continue efforts to trace the source of a long-running oil leak in the Brunswick East River, where recovery crews have removed approximately 38,000 gallons of oil product from the site.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are working together as part of the unified command, nicknamed “BERMS” — Brunswick East River Mystery Sheen.
In a 2024 statement, the U.S. Coast Guard said contractors were conducting biweekly vacuuming operations at monitoring wells on site to track and recover oil from the ground. These high vacuum recovery (HVR) units are designed for industrial oil recovery, and air monitoring is conducted before, during, and after each operation. Officials say air quality at the site has not exceeded EPA risk-based standards.
Physical recovery operations are also supported by protective barriers, including absorbent and non-absorbent booms, to prevent oil from spreading into the rest of the East River.
Officials emphasize that local drinking water, sourced from the Floridan aquifer, is safe for residents. However, the fumes from the oil could cause issues for those living or working near the affected area.
Maggie Van Cantfort, the Altamaha Riverkeeper, says the leak has persisted for at least six years, and she is frustrated by the lack of clarity on how much oil remains underground.
“We don’t know what percentage of the petroleum in the ground has been removed,” Van Cantfort said. “We’d really like to know how close they are to fully resolving the issue and remediating the situation so that port workers and the community of Brunswick are no longer affected.”
Officials say the next step is to use ground-penetrating radar and a magnetometer to locate a potential underground source of the oil. The results will help determine when oversight can shift from the unified command to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
Residents experiencing oil-related fumes are encouraged to contact the Altamaha Riverkeeper or the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
