No fun, fun, fun as oil spill closes Surf City beaches
A massive crude oil spill off the coast of southern California – believed to be at least 570,000 litres – has reached the shores of Huntington Beach, harming local wildlife and possibly closing kilometres of popular surf beaches for several months.
The pipeline believed to be the source of the spill has been shut down, according to the head of the company that operates it, while divers on the scene continue to search for the exact cause of the spill, believed to be one of the largest in recent Southern California history.
The origin of the leak was a break of the rig Elly, about 8km off the coast of Huntington Beach, according to officials.
“I don’t expect it to be more. That’s the capacity of the entire pipeline,” Amplify Energy chief executive Martyn Willsher said, adding dozens of nearby Amplify platforms had also been shut.
The New York Post said crews of skimmers led by the US Coast Guard were working to establish floating barriers known as booms to stop the huge oil slick from entering wetlands and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.
Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said “Surf City USA’s” 10km of famous beaches could remain closed for months.
“This oil spill constitutes one of the most devastating situations that our community has dealt with in decades,” Ms Carr said.