According to the statement of Huntington Beach, at least 126,000 gallons (572.807 liters of oil) were released into the waterways off Orange County.
According to the statement, “The spillage has had a significant impact on Huntington Beach and the Huntington Beach Wetlands”
Oil created a sheen that stretched miles across the ocean, and washed ashore with sticky, black globules and dead fish and birds. The U.S. Coast Guard led crews deployed skimmers, floating barriers called booms to prevent further intrusion into the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and the wetlands.
According to Katrina Foley, Orange County Supervisor, a petroleum stench permeated all the air in the region.
She said, “You get the taste just from the vapors of the air.”
In summery weather, the closure extended from Huntington Beach Pier to the Santa Ana River Jetty. To keep people from getting hurt, yellow caution tape was placed between the lifeguard towers.
Officials cancelled the last day of the annual Pacific Air Show, which draws thousands to Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach is a city of approximately 199,000 people located about 30 miles (48 km) south of Los Angeles. Flyovers were performed by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels as well as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
Foley stated that the oil slick was caused by a ruptured pipeline connecting to Elly’s offshore oil platform. Elly is connected to Ellen by a walkway, which is located about 8.5 miles (about fourteen kilometers) from Long Beach. Ellen is operated by Beta Operating Company.
Foley claimed that Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery said to her that he saw the oil slick on a boat returning from Santa Catalina Island. Foley tweeted, “He saw dolphins swimming through the oil.”
Huntington Beach stated early Sunday that “while it has not been fully stopped, preliminary patching was completed to repair oil spillage site,” and further repairs are planned.
Three decades ago, a huge oil leakage occurred along the same stretch on the Orange County coast. The oil tanker American Trader, which was carrying crude oil, ran over Huntington Beach’s anchor on February 7, 1990. It exploded, leaking nearly 417,000 gallons (1.6million liters) of crude oil. About 3,400 birds and fish were also killed.
A ruptured pipeline north Santa Barbara caused 143,000 gallons (541,313 liters), of crude oil to spill onto Refugio State Beach in 2015.
Orange County officials spoke out at a press conference on Saturday night to express concern over the potential environmental effects of the spillage and expressed hope that crews could stop it from reaching sensitive wetlands.
Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr stated that she has been working with federal, state, and county partners to reduce the potential ecological catastrophe.
This area is home to endangered and threatened species, including the California leasttern and snowy shorebirds. It also has a fishing industry as well as migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway.
Miyoko Sakashita (director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s oceans program) stated that “the coastal areas of Southern California are just really wealthy for wildlife.
Environmentalists claim that oil spillages can have wide-ranging effects. Sakashita stated that birds that have oil on their feathers cannot fly, can’t clean their bodies, and can’t keep track of their temperatures. She said that oily or toxic fumes can cause breathing problems in whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures.
The oil spillage shows the dangers of oil drilling and oil that is absorbed into the water. It is impossible to clean it so it ends up washing up onto our beaches. People come in contact with the oil and wildlife comes into contact with it.” she stated. It can have long-lasting negative effects on animal reproduction and breeding. It is really sad to see such a large swatch of oil.”
