What caused the massive oil spill off Huntington Beach? Here is what we know
3 years, 3 months ago

What caused the massive oil spill off Huntington Beach? Here is what we know

LA Times  

People began smelling oil off the Orange County coast on Friday afternoon. Sometime Saturday morning, Amplify Energy notified the U.S. Coast Guard that an oil spill had occurred after the company observed an oily sheen in the water. But Saturday evening, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach officials said the leak was “major” and that oil would reach the coast that night. At 11:07 p.m., the Coast Guard tweeted: “A unified command consisting of Beta Offshore, the Coast Guard and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response has been established to respond to an oil spill off the coast of Newport Beach.” Early Sunday morning, officials canceled the final day of the Pacific Airshow. The Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969 spewed an estimated 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, creating a slick 35 miles long along California’s coast and killing thousands of birds, fish and sea mammals.

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History of this topic

Huntington Beach settles with pipeline owner for $5.25 million in 2021 oil spill
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Huntington Beach settles with pipeline owner for $5.25 million in 2021 oil spill

LA Times  

Huntington Beach officials announced Monday that the city would be receiving a $5.25-million settlement from Amplify Energy Corp. for the 2021 spill of 25,000 gallons of crude. Huntington Beach Councilmembers Natalie Moser, left, Dan Kalmick and Rhonda Bolton address the media at City Hall on Monday. The settlement agreement with Amplify was finalized on Thursday and signed by Gates, Huntington …

Did O.C. oil spill come from natural seepage or drilling? Cause under investigation
10 months ago

Did O.C. oil spill come from natural seepage or drilling? Cause under investigation

LA Times  

Andrew Christenson, who got oil stuck to his feet, and his dog, Lola, check out tar balls at the high tide line Friday at Huntington Dog Beach in Huntington Beach. Coast Guard officials have not determined what caused an oil sheen that appeared off Huntington Beach last week, officials said Monday afternoon. For the record: An earlier version of this …

Authorities investigating potential oil spill off Huntington Beach coast in California
10 months ago

Authorities investigating potential oil spill off Huntington Beach coast in California

Hindustan Times  

Authorities in California are investigating a potential oil spill at the famed Huntington Beach in Los Angeles. This handout photo released on March 8, 2024 by the United States Coast Guard shows an aerial view of a Unified Command with representatives from the US Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, and Orange …

Feds call for sweeping changes in Southern California shipping after 2021 oil spill
1 year, 1 month ago

Feds call for sweeping changes in Southern California shipping after 2021 oil spill

LA Times  

A biologist inspects the Little Corona del Mar Beach tide pools on Oct. 6, 2021, after an oil spill off Huntington Beach. In the 2021 incident off Huntington Beach, the initial contact from the anchor caused “progressive cracks” in Houston-based Amplify Energy’s 17.3-mile underwater pipeline, which eventually burst in October, almost nine months later. Investigators also found that pipeline operators …

$50-million Huntington Beach oil spill settlement wins final approval
1 year, 8 months ago

$50-million Huntington Beach oil spill settlement wins final approval

LA Times  

An aerial view of booms placed to help stop the oil spill from spreading further into the Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach taken on Oct. 4, 2021. A federal judge in Santa Ana Monday signed off final approval of a $50-million settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Amplify Energy over the leak. A federal judge in Santa Ana Monday signed …

$1-million settlement approved in Huntington Beach oil spill
2 years, 5 months ago

$1-million settlement approved in Huntington Beach oil spill

LA Times  

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services clean up oil that flowed into the Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach. The Orange County Board of Supervisors has accepted a nearly $1-million settlement to cover the costs of cleaning up an Oct. 2 oil spill in Huntington Beach. In a 4-1 vote Wednesday, the supervisors voted to accept a $956,352 payout from Amplify Energy, …

Officials declare O.C. oil spill cleanup complete
3 years ago

Officials declare O.C. oil spill cleanup complete

LA Times  

Aerial view of workers cleaning up the oil spill at Huntington State Beach in October. “After sustained cleanup operations for the Southern California oil spill, affected shoreline segments have been returned to their original condition,” officials said in a news release Tuesday. The unified command cleanup response was led by the U.S. Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and …

Fishing in Orange County resumes after oil spill near Huntington Beach
3 years, 1 month ago

Fishing in Orange County resumes after oil spill near Huntington Beach

LA Times  

On Oct. 28, state officials reel in fish for testing after the oil spill that occurred earlier that month. Fishing can resume along the Orange County coast Tuesday afternoon, after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife determined it is safe to eat seafood taken from the waters after an oil spill in early October. The return of fishing is …

A long road ahead to recovery from Huntington Beach oil spill
3 years, 1 month ago

A long road ahead to recovery from Huntington Beach oil spill

LA Times  

Container ships and an offshore oil rig line the horizon as an oil spill cleanup crew member walks the shoreline in Huntington Beach in October. An oil sheen spotted off Huntington Beach this weekend served as a potent reminder of how long it will take Southern California to untangle the legal, regulatory and environmental fallout of an October pipeline spill …

Coast Guard targets second vessel tied to Orange County oil spill
3 years, 1 month ago

Coast Guard targets second vessel tied to Orange County oil spill

LA Times  

Dozens of fish swim under oil slicks at the Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach on Oct. 3. Federal authorities Thursday boarded the container vessel Beijing in Long Beach, identifying it as a second ship under investigation in the Orange County oil spill. Authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board believe a ship’s anchor hit an oil …

California oil spill: Surfing, swimming OK but fishing out
3 years, 2 months ago

California oil spill: Surfing, swimming OK but fishing out

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. California has prohibited fishing in an area that ranges …

The O.C. oil spill could have been a much bigger disaster. Here is what went right
3 years, 2 months ago

The O.C. oil spill could have been a much bigger disaster. Here is what went right

LA Times  

As oil began washing up on the shores of Huntington Beach early Sunday, officials were preparing for a worst-case scenario. “When you hear that thousands of gallons of oil has been released and is quickly approaching your shores you can’t help but think the worst.” The biggest break Orange County got was the one officials could not control: ocean currents. …

Huntington Beach boomed thanks to oil. Now, many see it as blighted barrier to future
3 years, 3 months ago

Huntington Beach boomed thanks to oil. Now, many see it as blighted barrier to future

LA Times  

The Huntington Beach coastline in 1940 was lined with oil derricks. “Yes, we have an oil history, but from a city standpoint, and for me personally, there’s really no need to be pumping oil out of the ground anymore,” said Dan Kalmick, 39, the first millennial on the City Council, who co- As a snapshot of the city’s past juxtaposed …

California spill not the environmental disaster first feared
3 years, 3 months ago

California spill not the environmental disaster first feared

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After a crude oil sheen …

California oil spill: How the huge leak which closed beaches looked
3 years, 3 months ago

California oil spill: How the huge leak which closed beaches looked

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery This aerial picture taken …

Oil spill off Orange County coast is smaller than estimated, Coast Guard says
3 years, 3 months ago

Oil spill off Orange County coast is smaller than estimated, Coast Guard says

LA Times  

Officials say the amount of oil that leaked from a pipeline off the Orange County coast, fouling stretches of sand and threatening ecologically sensitive areas from Huntington Beach to San Diego County, may be smaller than originally projected. Rebecca Ore, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Los Angeles-Long Beach sector, said Thursday that after further assessments officials had determined that …

Oil spill puts spotlight on the magic and fragility of California’s coast
3 years, 3 months ago

Oil spill puts spotlight on the magic and fragility of California’s coast

LA Times  

The hills glowed as the sun fell. “It’s just beyond sad,” said Clayton Elder, 32, who walked from his apartment out to the bluff over Crescent Bay to see if the oil had arrived. “To watch barnacles just disappear because they’re covered in oil, it’s watching a slow death of things that you care about, that help filter our water, …

Oil, tar wash ashore in San Diego County as O.C. oil spill cleanup extends
3 years, 3 months ago

Oil, tar wash ashore in San Diego County as O.C. oil spill cleanup extends

LA Times  

People enjoy the beach near the Oceanside Pier on Thursday in Oceanside. Small amounts of oil and tar washed ashore as far south as San Diego County on Thursday as cleanup and recovery efforts accelerated following the oil spill along the Orange County coast. Kaner estimates that his surf school will lose tens of thousands of dollars in the first …

Governor Says Offshore Drilling ‘Part Of Our Past’ After California Oil Spill
3 years, 3 months ago

Governor Says Offshore Drilling ‘Part Of Our Past’ After California Oil Spill

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed Tuesday to vehemently oppose any new drilling in federal waters off the state’s coastline following a large oil spill that fouled some of the nation’s most iconic beaches last weekend. Newsom declared a state of emergency in Southern California’s Orange County late Monday and said investigators would work quickly to determine how …

Changing weather raises fear that O.C. oil spill could reach more coastal areas
3 years, 3 months ago

Changing weather raises fear that O.C. oil spill could reach more coastal areas

LA Times  

A juvenile shovelnose guitar fish lays dead Tuesday on sand darkened by oil that spilled off the Huntington Beach coast last week. “We are closely watching the weather patterns as it relates to the oil slick,” said Newport Beach city spokesman John Pope. Deborah Sivas, director of the Environmental Law Clinic at Stanford Law School, said the Southern California coastal …

Dismayed by oil spill, some in Huntington Beach say it’s time to end offshore drilling
3 years, 3 months ago

Dismayed by oil spill, some in Huntington Beach say it’s time to end offshore drilling

LA Times  

A large yellow bulldozer pushed a mound of sand toward the mouth of the Huntington Beach Channel, creating a barrier that would hopefully slow the amount of oil that was floating up to the nearby wetlands. “This happened in 1990.” Uchida was referring to Feb. 7, 1990, when the oil tanker American Trader ran over its anchor in shallow water …

California oil spill: Coastal residents brace for damage as officials rush to contain it
3 years, 3 months ago

California oil spill: Coastal residents brace for damage as officials rush to contain it

CNN  

Newport Beach, California CNN — The oil spill off the coast of Orange County is a slow-moving disaster that is still hard for many residents to detect with the naked eye. Kyle Grillot for CNN Ongoing investigation Though Newport Beach officials have said they began getting reports from residents about an oil or methane-like smell in the air as early …

Orange County oil spill sparks race to save wildlife
3 years, 3 months ago

Orange County oil spill sparks race to save wildlife

LA Times  

Cleanup crews spread out across the beach as they begin cleaning up oil in the sand from a major oil spill on Huntington State Beach in Huntington Beach Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. “There’s a real urgency in rescuing the wildlife affected right now, and experts have great strategies for cleaning wildlife,” said Christine Whitcraft, professor of biological sciences at Cal …

Crews race to limit damage from major California oil spill
3 years, 3 months ago

Crews race to limit damage from major California oil spill

Associated Press  

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Crews on the water and on shore worked feverishly Sunday to limit environmental damage from one of the largest oil spills in recent California history, caused by a suspected leak in an underwater pipeline that fouled the sands of famed Huntington Beach and could keep the beaches there closed for weeks or longer. Huntington Beach Mayor …

What we know about the California oil spill so far
3 years, 3 months ago

What we know about the California oil spill so far

CNN  

CNN — A leak in an oil pipeline caused a major spill off the coast of Southern California, sending oil spewing into the local environment and potentially harming wildlife and nearby human residents. The oil spill is the equivalent of an estimated 3,000 barrels – or 126,000 gallons – of post-production crude, though the city of Huntington Beach said the …

Aerial photos capture the scope of the O.C. oil spill
3 years, 3 months ago

Aerial photos capture the scope of the O.C. oil spill

LA Times  

The full scope of the weekend oil spill in Orange County remains unclear. Crews clean up oil in a pool tainted by the spill in Huntington Beach on Oct. 4, 2021. Booms have been set up to keep the spill from spreading further in Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach on Oct. 4, 2021. Booms help curtail the spread of the …

Officials knew about oil off O.C. coast Friday, sparking new questions about response
3 years, 3 months ago

Officials knew about oil off O.C. coast Friday, sparking new questions about response

LA Times  

California and federal officials had strong indications of oil on the water off the Huntington Beach coast Friday evening, records reviewed by The Times show, more than 10 hours before the operator of an oil platform reported it to authorities. The Office of Spill Prevention and Response, a division of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife charged with handling …

Why did it take so long to identify Orange County oil spill?
3 years, 3 months ago

Why did it take so long to identify Orange County oil spill?

LA Times  

TK Brimer was getting ready to close up his surf shop, Frog House, Friday evening when he smelled something like tar in the air. The potential source of the oil leak is about 4.5 miles off the coast, somewhere along the 17.5-mile pipeline to shore, where crude is eventually delivered to a local refinery, said Martyn Willsher, president and chief …

Oil spill seeps into O.C.’s coastal wetlands, a critical link along migratory bird route
3 years, 3 months ago

Oil spill seeps into O.C.’s coastal wetlands, a critical link along migratory bird route

LA Times  

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services clean up oil that flowed into the Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach on Sunday. A day after a broken pipeline spewed roughly 130,000 gallons of post-productive crude off the Orange County coast, they were part of an effort to clean up oil that had gushed into a two-mile necklace of delicate coastal marshlands — Talbert, …

Editorial: Huntington Beach shore is covered in oil. This is why the U.S. needs to end coastal drilling
3 years, 3 months ago

Editorial: Huntington Beach shore is covered in oil. This is why the U.S. needs to end coastal drilling

LA Times  

A Huntington State Beach officer warns visitors to stay out of the water and away from oil Sunday at the Santa Ana River jetties. In one of the biggest California spills in decades, a pipeline connected to an offshoot oil platform off the coast of Huntington Beach released at least 126,000 gallons of crude over the weekend. This is why …

Huntington Beach air show canceled due to massive oil spill off Orange County coast
3 years, 3 months ago

Huntington Beach air show canceled due to massive oil spill off Orange County coast

LA Times  

An oil slick believed to have originated from a pipeline leak has hit Huntington Beach, closing a stretch of beach and raising grave wildlife and environmental concerns. The final day of a popular air show in Huntington Beach has been canceled because of a massive oil spill off the Orange County coast. The oil slick is believed to have originated …

Huge ecological losses feared as Orange County oil spill hits wetlands, marshes
3 years, 3 months ago

Huge ecological losses feared as Orange County oil spill hits wetlands, marshes

LA Times  

There was growing alarm in Huntington Beach and beyond over the ecological toll of a 130,000-gallon oil spill that left local beaches and some wetlands soiled with crude. Society’s obsession with offshore drilling “keeps coming back to bite us.” A shorebird feeds in the incoming tide on a beach streaked by oil from a leaking pipeline. Orange County Supervisor Katrina …

What it was like to surf on day of Orange County oil spill: Frantic dolphins, exhaust smell
3 years, 3 months ago

What it was like to surf on day of Orange County oil spill: Frantic dolphins, exhaust smell

LA Times  

When I heard about the Orange County oil spill Sunday morning, I immediately started wondering about the surreal day I had Saturday, surfing with my son, his friend and a pod of dolphins in Huntington Beach. As the morning wore on, I By afternoon, officials were reporting the oil slick was discovered Saturday morning, leaking about 130,000 gallons of crude …

Massive oil spill sends crude onto Orange County beaches, killing birds, marine life
3 years, 3 months ago

Massive oil spill sends crude onto Orange County beaches, killing birds, marine life

LA Times  

An oil slick believed to have originated from a pipeline leak has hit Huntington Beach, closing a stretch of beach and raising grave wildlife and environmental concerns. It’s goo, and it’s thick.” Oil lines the beach as a bird feeds in the incoming tide while a major oil spill washes ashore on the border of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach …

30 years ago, miles of O.C. beaches were fouled by a devastating oil spill
4 years, 11 months ago

30 years ago, miles of O.C. beaches were fouled by a devastating oil spill

LA Times  

Lance Kennedy, 15, of Newport Beach sweeps tar off Huntington Beach north of the Santa Ana River jetty after the 1990 spill. On the afternoon of Feb. 7, 1990, the oil tanker American Trader ran over its anchor in relatively shallow water off Huntington Beach, spilling nearly 417,000 gallons of crude and fouling popular beaches along the Orange County coast. …

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