Officials believe they have identified the cause of the 144,000 gallon oil spill off the California coast earlier this week. Authorities discovered a 13-inch split in a 4,000-foot section of the pipe which had been pulled 105 feet to the side.
Martyn Willsher, Amplify Energy CEO, said “The pipeline has essentially been pulled like a bow string. And so at its widest point is about 105 feet away from where it was. So, it is kind of an almost a semicircle.” Authorities believe an anchor may have hooked the pipeline.
The oil spread along the shores from Huntington Beach to Laguna Beach. The Coast Guard expects that to spread farther south due to wind and currents. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency following the spill. “The state is moving to cut red tape and mobilize all available resources to protect public health and the environment…”As California continues to lead the nation in phasing out fossil fuels and combating the climate crisis, this incident serves as a reminder of the enormous cost fossil fuels have on our communities. Destructive offshore drilling practices sacrifice our public health, the economy, and our environment.”
By Tuesday 4,800 gallons of oil had already been recovered from the water using 11,400 feet of boom. A boom describes a floating barrier that is used to contain an oil spill.
Orange County Supervisor, Katrina Foley, said “This has devastated our California coastline in Orange County, and it’s having a tremendous impact on our ecological preserves as well as our economics. We need answers and the public deserves answers.”
