I was called as a veterinarian with avian species experience and asked to help. They had collected 7900 oiled birds from the spill. Eventually 264 were released.
I went to the large warehouse in Richmond that the University had donated. I organised the following: A physician to be present, a social worker to address grief responses, the leaders of a Berkeley Coop to organise volunteers into scheduled working parties. Volunteers were screened for suitability to work in groups and deal with death. Those failing the suitability were sent out to gather supplies.
At that time the most work on oiled birds was from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The oil companies wanted to give funds but to do this we needed to be an incorporated non-profit. Three of us, Alice Berkner, Gary Bogue and myself were the original incorporators of International Bird Rescue. [In fact they were Raymond Balter, Ralph Steiner, and Dr. Harris.] Since she had the time, she was made the Director.
Birds were wrapped in cloth diapers to prevent them preening and ingesting the oil. They were cleaned with solvent. Most died. On the next oil spill we were given space at the Berkeley Humane Society.Pools where facilities were constructed on the roof. After some years the City of Berkeley donated part of Aquatic Park where IBRRC was located for a number of years. During these years it was found that 4% dish washing liquid at 41 degrees Celsius was the ideal product to remove oil. Serial baths were used and the birds were rinsed in water until all the detergent was removed. Then they were dried. We had large batteries of dryers. (I have 35 mm. slides of all this.)
At one point there was an oil spill involving Murres. They were at the facility at Aquatic Park. They were ready to release to swim back to the Farallon Islands when lesions around the beaks and eyes were noted. This was eventually diagnoses as pox virus, endemic in the the Black Birds in the Park and transmitted by insects. They all died often with fish in their bills. If any had swum back to the Farallons, biting flies would have spread the virus and all 200,000 Murres would have died.
I was Medical Director and Chair of the Board of IBRRC from 1971-1978. I wrote a chapter on Treating Oiled Sea Birds in Current Veterinary Therapy in 1974 and in 1977. David Smith was co-author of the 1977 chapter.