Written by Nathaniel Manor
This past week Huntington Beach suffered a devastating oil spill roughly 13 square miles off the coast. The incident, caused by Beta Offshore, lost 126,000 gallons of oil and has only recovered 3,150 gallons, meaning that beaches are closed for at least a few weeks but could last a few months. In addition, the mayor of Huntington Beach, Kim Carr, advised residents not to swim or fish in the area due to the health hazards.
She’s not the only public official who’s taken notice of this disaster since the spill occurred in federal waters at Elly platform, which processes crude oil from 70 different oil wells. Rep. Michelle Steel voiced her concerns regarding the spill.
In a letter to President Houseplant, aka Joe Biden, she stated that “It is imperative that the federal government assist in recovery efforts. Constituents who live along the shoreline are already reporting oil on the beach and strong odors. Officials are already responding to protect sea life. Dead fish and birds are already being reported on beaches and shorelines. I have serious concerns about the environmental impacts of the spill and applaud the workers who are doing their best to prevent the oil from hitting sensitive wetlands.” Steel represents Huntington Beach and the northern coastline of Orange County.
But her letter falls on deaf ears, literally, as Joe Biden’s preoccupied with passing the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill as well as the “bipartisan” $1.5 trillion bills. In addition, Huntington Beach is a rather conservative area in deep-blue California. So Biden can look the other way as his constituents suffer in silence.
