A 2.5-mile-long oil sheen discovered off the coast of Huntington Beach last week has remained confined to the area and has not impacted Long Beach as crews in Orange County today continue clean-up efforts, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday that the sheen was caused by a natural seep from the ocean floor, the Los Angeles Times reported. But officials later walked that statement back and said the cause was still under investigation.
The oil sheen was spotted nearly three miles off the coast of Huntington Beach just before 7 p.m. Thursday. A seep is when crude oil or natural gas enters naturally through fractures or sediment shifts from the ocean floor, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Cleanup crews responded quickly, removing roughly 85 gallons of the oil, or 85%, by Friday night, according to authorities. They also removed about 800 pounds of trash covered in oil and tar balls along the shore, authorities said.
As of Sunday, no more oil sheen could be seen off the coast, but tar balls, some measuring up to 15 centimeters, were still washing up, according to authorities.
Wildlife crews surveying the area meanwhile rescued three birds covered in oil and another that was injured but was not covered in oil, authorities said. One of the birds covered in oil and the injured bird, however, died overnight while getting treatment, they added.
So far, no beach closures were announced in the area, but officials warned beachgoers to avoid touching the tar balls washing up along the shore.
“Contact with crude oil can pose health risks,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Orange County Health Officer. “Residents and visitors are advised to take caution in affected areas and to avoid touching visible tar.”
In 2021, an oil spill resulting from a ruptured pipeline caused more than 25,000 gallons of oil to be released into the ocean. The owner of the pipeline, AmplifyEnergy Corp., later settled a $50 million class action lawsuit filed against them by fishers, property owners and the city’s tourism industry.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information from the U.S. Coast Guard.