Written by: Natalia Perez
Late Friday into Saturday morning, boaters began to notice an oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach in Orange County. Now the spill has grown at least 13-square-miles and prompted officials to close beaches and warn of an ecological disaster Sunday.
Amplify Energy is the company that owns and operates the pipeline. They have notified Orange County that they immediately shutdown and began to suction the pipeline. However, their action might have been a little late as the offshore oil pipeline is being investigated as the potential source for the 126,000-gallon.
Officials said Sunday that approximately 3,150 gallons of oil had been recovered from the water, but the local ecosystem’s toll was already evident. Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley tweeted: “We’ve started to find dead birds and fish washing up on the shore.” A full cut to the pipeline is described as the “worst case” scenario that would ultimately cause “significant and substantial harm to the environment.”
The spill also forced the cancelation of the final day of the Pacific Airshow. Additionally, skimming equipment and booms are currently being utilized to prevent oil flow into ecologically sensitive areas. Rep. Michelle Steel, whose district includes oil spill areas, asked President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster to help with recovery efforts. It is unclear if Joe Biden will assist with the recovery efforts.
Photo from: Reuters
