California oil spill causes environmental disaster, threatens two popular resorts

A major oil spill off the coast of southern California has left dead fish, oil soaked birds and polluted wetlands, in an incident that local authorities described as environmental disaster.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which is leading a cleanup response involving federal, state and municipal agencies, on Sunday announced an ongoing investigation into how the spill occurred.

We calculate that approximately 126,000 gallons, or 3,000 barrels, have spread in an oil slick that covers about 13 square miles (3,367 hectares) of the Pacific Ocean since it was first reported on Saturday morning, said Kim Carr, mayor of Huntington Beach, during a press conference.

Carr called the spill an “environmental disaster” and “potential ecological disaster”. The city, located next to the beach, about 40 miles south of Los Angeles, was hit hardest by the oil spill.

Carr added: “Our wetlands are degrading and parts of our coastline are now covered with oil. This oil spill supposes one of the most devastating situations our community has faced in decades”.

The spill was caused by a hole in a connection to the Elly oil rig and it stretched from Huntington Beach Pier to Newport Beach, an area popular with surfers and bathers.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has ordered the closure of fishing in coastal areas affected by the spill. For her part, U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman in the Los Angeles and Long Beach area, Rebeca Ore, said the oil spill is being closely watched both with planes flying over the area and with personnel on the coasts, and pointed out that the cleaning-up work is organized.

The closure will extend from Huntington Beach to Dana Point for the coastal areas, and will extend up to six miles outside the coastal points for the offshore area, the department said on Sunday.

Carr said the oil rig is operated by Beta Offshore, a subsidiary of Amplify Energy Corporation, a Houston-based group. Calls from Reuters a Beta and Amplify have received no response.

Carr added, “In the days and weeks to come, we challenge the responsible parties to do everything possible to rectify this environmental catastrophe. “

Amplify Energy CEO Martyn Willsher told a press conference in Long Beach that the pipeline had been shut down and the remaining oil had been sucked out. He said divers were still trying to figure out where and why the spill occurred.

The spill will have “irreversible consequences on the environmentOrange County Clerk Katrina Foley said after scores of dead fish and birds were found offshore. “The ramifications will extend beyond the oil and visible odors our residents currently face. The impact on the environment is irreversible ”.

Huntington Beach authorities have asked residents to stay away from affected areas and avoid the beach.

Foley said the “toxicity” of the crude was “worrying enough that a hazardous materials team was deployed to the city to further assess the situation.”

The Coast Guard is leading a unified command of federal, state, county and city agencies to contain the spill, with fire safety and Navy personnel deployed to implement environmental containment efforts. “Filtering systems and floating barriers have been deployed to prevent oil from reaching the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and Huntington Beach Wetlands,” a statement said.

However, he regrets that these wetlands are already suffering from “significant ecological consequences”.

“The leak did not stop completely, preliminary fixes were made to repair the site of the oil spill,” said the city’s statement. “The scale of the spill required swift and aggressive action,” he added.

(With information from Reuters, AFP and EFE)

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