9km-long California beach in Orange County sealed off after massive oil spill

A huge oil leakage off the coast of Orange County, California, on Sunday, has forced the halting of a 9-kilometre-long beachside region, in which the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) personnel have started cleaning the oil spill from the federal seas. It has been reported by a local media group that an offshore drilling rig platform spilt nearly 4,76,961 litres of oil in the Pacific Ocean.  

On Sunday morning, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley informed the local KTLA news channel that the mishap was originally reported on Saturday, and oil was still pouring approximately 5 miles which are about 8.05 kilometres, off the shore of Huntington Beach from the broken pipes.  

While talking about the platform Elly, which is located in the federal sea off the coast of Los Angeles County and processes the production of crude oil along with two other platforms, Folley added that the responsible party is now attempting to fix the pipeline. These platforms are situated on the surface of the Beta Field which is a major crude oil resource located in the sea under the jurisdiction of the US Department of the Interior.  

Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr informed CNN on Saturday that the oil spill is a "potential ecological disaster." In a statement, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced that a joint command comprising of Beta Offshore, the Coast Guard, as well as CDFW's Oil Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) were created to address the situation. 

Actions were taken against Massive oil spill off Southern California

The statement further reads that the source of the leak and what kind of oil are being investigated. It also added that the general people are asked to stay away from any oiled regions. Oil is being cleaned up by trained spill response personnel. Volunteers from the general public are unnecessary and may impede response operations.  

As per the Xinhua website, local authorities urged people to stay away from the beach regions near Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, saying that the leak has substantially damaged Huntington Beach, with considerable ecological consequences appearing at the Huntington Beach Wetlands.  

Further, the local newspaper Orange County Register reported that Debbie McGuire who is the executive director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Centre in Huntington Beach informed cleaning workers had supplied with masks, goggles, and IV fluids to stabilise the animals harmed by the pollutants. McGuire also revealed that three pelicans, a ruddy duck, and a surf scoter were among the injured birds transported to the centre on Sunday afternoon.  

The last day of the Great Pacific Airshow was also cancelled due to the oil leak. The 5th yearly air show started at Huntington Beach on October 1, Friday morning, brought nearly 1.5 million people to the beach on Saturday. The event was set to go until Sunday afternoon. It is been 30 years since the last significant oil disaster in Southern California. The American Trader oil tanker spilt over 417,000 gallons of crude oil off the coast of Orange County in 1990, killing nearly 3,400 birds and contaminating famous beaches. 

(Image: AP)