[Huntington Beach, California, USA, 3rd Reuters]–An estimated 126,000 gallons (3,000 barrels) of crude oil spilled off the coast of Los Angeles, California, and reached the coast. Announced by the local city of Huntington.
The city’s mayor said at a press conference on the 3rd that the spill was first reported on the morning of the 2nd and that the oil had spread to about 13 square miles. He said there was an “environmental catastrophe,” including coastal wetlands.
The cause was a damaged pipeline at an offshore oil rig. It is said that the area is covered with oil and dead fish and birds are being launched. The beach was closed and the local air show was cancelled.
According to the mayor, the drilling facility is operated by Beta Offshore, a subsidiary of Amplify Energy in Houston, Texas. Amplify’s CEO said at a news conference in Long Beach, California that the pipeline had already shut down and the oil left in it had been sucked out.
The Coast Guard, which is leading the response to the situation, announced on the 3rd that it is investigating the cause 24 hours a day. So far, it has recovered about 3,150 gallons of crude oil.
Republican Rep. Michel Steele, whose affected area is included in the electoral district, sent a letter to President Biden requesting that Orange County, the state, declare a major disaster. The declaration will allow the federal government to assist in responding to oil spills.
He then emphasized to CNN that it was a “really terrible disaster.”
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