Environment

Diesel fuel spills into Lake Merritt from storm drain

A cleanup crew worked to clean up diesel fuel that spilled into Lake Merritt from a storm drain on Tuesday evening. Fuel could be seen on the water’s surface in the area by the storm drain located near the corner of Harrison Street and Grand Avenue, across from Children’s Fairyland. About four to five acres were originally contaminated, Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Darin White said, but firefighters were able to pare down the contaminated area to two acres using an…

IS THERE A MONSTER IN LAKE MERRITT? SCIENTIST SAYS YES!

Few know what lurks the depths of the murky, brackish, crustacean-filled Lake Merritt. Few know what beastly beast, what cryptid, what leviathan, what man-eating monster could be swimming below, slithering through those fetid waters. Few know… but many have seen.

Program offers homeowners cash rebates for energy-efficiency upgrades

Bay Area residents may soon begin to see ads for a new program that allows homeowners to better insulate their houses while getting a considerable of rebate for doing the upgrade. After an 11-month pilot program, the full version of Energy Upgrade California—a statewide effort to promote energy efficiency—is now going full throttle. Homeowners who hire participating contractors to retrofit their houses as part of the Energy Upgrade California program are eligible for a reimbursement of up to $4,000. The…

Free animal adoptions at Maddie’s Matchmaker Adoptathon

Miss Twiggy is an overweight Rottweiler with hyperthyroidism and an affectionate personality. She’s 4 years old, fairly slow moving and loves to cuddle. And she lives in Oakland’s animal shelter. If Miss Twiggy is adopted this weekend, not only is her adoption free but she’ll also earn the shelter, Oakland Animal Services, $1,000.

Port gets $18 million for harbor maintenance dredging

The Port of Oakland just secured $18 million in federal funding for its harbor deepening project, said the port’s spokesperson Marilyn Sandifur on Wednesday. The funding is going to help the port receive maintenance dredging services from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in fiscal year 2011.