California’s ‘Surf City USA’ beach reopens after oil spill

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California beach that was closed more than a week ago because of a leak of crude oil from an undersea pipeline reopened on Monday, far sooner than many expected.

Huntington Beach's city and state beaches reopened after officials said water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil associated toxins in the ocean water. Early Monday morning, surfers bobbed in the waves and people walked along the shoreline, some with dogs jumping and playing in the water.

Andrew Boyack, a 54-year-old commercial photographer, was eager to get back to surfing the waves he usually rides three or four times a week.

"There's lots of guys out so I figure it's probably alright, and I guess they tested it," he said, while rinsing off at an outdoor beach shower.

"It's exercise. It's like, you know, if somebody was a jogger or something," he said. "We surf every morning."

Huntington Beach and nearby coastal communities reeled from last week's spill that officials said sent at least about 25,000 gallons and no more than 132,000 gallons of oil into the ocean.

It was caused by a leak about 5 miles off the coast in a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that shuttles crude from offshore oil platforms to the coast.

The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2, a day after residents reported a petroleum smell in the area. The cause is under investigation and officials said they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ship's anchor several months to a year before it ruptured.