This major oil spill occurred on October 3-4th off the coast of southern california. It was not immediately clear where this oil was coming from, however one thing was certain, there was a lot of it. Dead fish and birds washed up on shore from this oil spill as crews raced to clean up the spill. The slick extended from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach according to the New York Times.

On Thursday October 3rd an estimated 126,000 gallons of oil created a 13 square mile oil slick that continued to grow into sunday. It was not immediately known what caused the leak, however it was quickly found out. Coast Guard officials said to AP News, “It came from a leak in a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that shuttles crude from offshore platforms to the coast. Officials said the cause of the leak remains under investigation but the pipeline was likely damaged by a ship’s anchor several months to a year before it ruptured.”

The New York Times also did some investigation about the Oil Rig.  “The oil spill occurred 3 miles off the coast of Newport Beach and involved a 17.5 mile pipeline connected to an offshore oil rig named “Elly” that is operated by Beta” according to New York Times. Alot of people were in this cleanup effort, including the Coast Guard. “crews had “recovered” about 3,150 gallons of oil. Fourteen boats were involved in the cleanup effort on Sunday, and crews had deployed 5,360 feet of boom, a floating barrier that helps contain oil. “ according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s press conference. 

The cleanup efforts were led by the U.S. Coast Guard. The local response in Huntington Beach was focused on “preventing an ecological disaster by mitigating the impacts of the oil on our precious wetlands and wildlife,” Mayor Kim Carr of Huntington Beach said to the New York Times. This major oil slick seemed to infiltrate the Talbert Marsh which is a 25-acre ecological reserve across Huntington State Beach that is a home for dozens of species of birds, Mrs. Carr said. “The impact to the environment is irreversible,” Katrina Foley, a supervisor for Orange County, said at the news conference on Saturday night.

Orange County health officials on Sunday warned people that they should seek medical attention if they touched the oil or inhaled oil vapors, which can be toxic. This “major” oil spill, according to the Coast Guard during a press conference, is going to be very harmful to the ecosystem surrounding Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Many people living in this area should be cognizant  of the oil in the water and to be careful when coming in contact.