Massive leak from offshore oil pipeline sees 126,000 gallons of crude spill into ocean and create a 13-square-mile slick: Dead fish and birds wash up on Huntington Beach
- Officials warned people in the Huntington Beach area in Los Angeles that more than 126,000 gallons of oil leaked from an offshore rig and began washing up on local beaches
- The leak was reported Saturday afternoon, as the US Coast Guard reported the spill was about three miles off Newport Beach, a popular beach destination in Orange County
- Huntington Beach officials said the spill has been patched up but 'not completely stopped'
- The oil spill is believed to have originated from a pipeline leak that's part of an offshore platform, operated by Beta Offshore, a Long Beach unit of Houston's Amplify Energy
A major oil spill off the coast of Southern California fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands.
At least 126,000 gallons (98,420 liters) of oil spilled into the waters off Orange County, according to a statement from the city of Huntington Beach. That equates to around 3,000 barrels of oil.
'The spill has significantly affected Huntington Beach, with substantial ecological impacts occurring at the beach and at the Huntington Beach Wetlands,' the statement said.
A major oil spill off the coast of Southern California fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands.
At least 126,000 gallons (98,420 liters) of oil spilled into the waters off Orange County, according to a statement from the city of Huntington Beach. That equates to around 3,000 barrels of oil.
'The spill has significantly affected Huntington Beach, with substantial ecological impacts occurring at the beach and at the Huntington Beach Wetlands,' the statement said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that birds and fish have been killed. Crews led by the U.S. Coast Guard deployed skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further incursion into the wetlands and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.
The coastline was closed from the Huntington Beach Pier nearly 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) south to the Santa Ana River jetty.
A major oil spill off the coast of Southern California fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday, to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands
Multiple reports of oil in the sand and in the water were communicated to local authorities on Sunday
A seagull flies over oil washed up by the coast in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Sunday after crude oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean
Officials canceled the final day of the annual Pacific Air Show that typically draws thousands of spectators to Huntington Beach, a city of about 199,000 residents about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles.
The Times said the oil slick is believed to have originated from a pipeline leak, while Orange County supervisor Katrina Foley tweeted that the oil spilled from Platform Elly, operated by Beta Offshore, a Long Beach unit of Houston's Amplify Energy.
Huntington Beach officials shared a statement early Sunday saying 'while the leak has not been completely stopped, preliminary patching has been completed to repair the oil spill site,' with additional repairs planned.
'We classify this as a major spill, and it is a high priority to us to mitigate any environmental concerns,' said Jennifer Carey, a Huntington Beach city spokesperson. 'It's all hands on deck.'
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said the spill was estimated to be around 5 miles off the coast.
The pipeline leak originates from a platform located in federal waters. It sits on top of an oil reservoir underneath coastal waters known as Beta Field, according to the Los Angeles Times.
It was set-up in March 1980 and processes crude oil production from two other platforms. The city newspaper reported that workers had moved to shut down the pipeline and use pressurized equipment to retrieve as much oil as possible soon after the incident was reported.
Videos and pictures shared Sunday on Twitter show dark stretches of sand where oil seems to have come ashore, curving around seashells as birds and beachgoers stand nearby.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it had sent surveillance and cleanup teams to the beach, and the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at the University of California at Davis said it had also dispatched staff to response efforts in the Newport Beach area.
Beaches were closed on Sunday as environmental rescue teams got a first view of the major spill
Oil was spotted on the beach in Huntington Beach, California, impacting the environment nearby
Surfers that planned on surfing look at oil on the beach in Huntington Beach, California after 126,000 gallons of oil spilled into the ocean yesterday
Oil is seen on the beach in Huntington Beach, California on Saturday and Sunday after a pipeline breach connected to an oil rig offshore started leaking oil, according to an Orange County Supervisor
Meanwhile, Huntington Beach officials urged people to stay off the beach and to avoid coming across oiled areas because of the 'toxicity created by the spill.'
Residents were urged to call a hotline at (877) 823-6926 if they spotted any wildlife affected by the oil.
According to the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, the area is visited by thousands of birds per year as a resting place during their long migrations from nesting grounds in the Arctic on their trip in South America.
The largest oil spill in the ocean recorded in California, was near Santa Barbara in 1969. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 barrels of crude oil spilled over ten days and killed an estimated 3,500 sea birds, as well as ocean wildlife such as dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions.
It reportedly inspired the government to come up with Earth Day. The latest spill amounts to about 3,000 barrels.
'At some point we must address these types of spills and how they are wreaking such havoc not only on our environment, but also on our economics, in our communities,' Foley said.
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