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| Bird clean-up operation cost Somerset's RSPCA £10,000 | Bird clean-up operation cost Somerset's RSPCA £10,000 |
| (1 day later) | |
| The RSPCA said it spent more than £10,000 dealing with hundreds of seabirds that washed up on England's south-west coast in January and April. | |
| Staff at its West Hatch centre in Taunton rescued and cleaned about 470 birds, mainly guillemots, which were covered in an oily substance, thought to be polyisobutene (PIB). | |
| The birds were cleaned with margarine donated by local supermarkets. | The birds were cleaned with margarine donated by local supermarkets. |
| Many died, but about half were released back into the wild. | |
| The RSPCA said the most expensive part of the operation was the disposal of the water they used to clean the birds, which became contaminated with the chemical. | The RSPCA said the most expensive part of the operation was the disposal of the water they used to clean the birds, which became contaminated with the chemical. |
| 'Costs accumulate' | 'Costs accumulate' |
| RSPCA centre manager Peter Venn said: "We can't wash that into the water system so it has to be taken away by somebody. | RSPCA centre manager Peter Venn said: "We can't wash that into the water system so it has to be taken away by somebody. |
| "Every time we change the water in the tank it's £1,000. So those costs accumulate very, very quickly." | "Every time we change the water in the tank it's £1,000. So those costs accumulate very, very quickly." |
| Mr Venn said he hopes that the source of the spill is identified in order for the centre to seek compensation for the clean-up operation. | Mr Venn said he hopes that the source of the spill is identified in order for the centre to seek compensation for the clean-up operation. |
| In the meantime the centre will continue fundraising to replace the money, which came from its annual £500,000 budget. | In the meantime the centre will continue fundraising to replace the money, which came from its annual £500,000 budget. |
| A spokesman for The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was "continuing with its efforts to identify the source" of the substance. | A spokesman for The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was "continuing with its efforts to identify the source" of the substance. |