An oil spill about five miles off the coast of Huntington Beach, California, left 3,000 barrels' worth of oil pouring into the Pacific Ocean.
According to Accuweather, incoming inclement weather could impact the situation even further.
The spill came from a 17-mile pipeline owned by Houston, Texas-based company Amplify Energy. It was first identified on Saturday and resulted in about 126,000 gallons of post-production crude oil flooding into the ocean, reported CNN.
“In a year that has been filled with incredibly challenging issues, this oil spill constitutes one of the most devastating situations that our community has dealt with in decades,” said Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr, reported LA Times. “Rest assured that the team in Huntington Beach mobilized quickly, and we are proactively responding. We are doing everything in our power to protect the health and safety of our residents, our visitors and our natural habitats.”
As a result of the oil spill, sea life such as fish and dead birds have been washing ashore on beaches across Southern California, reported LA Times.
According to Amplify Energy, the company has sent a remotely operated vehicle to investigate and attempt to confirm the source of the release.
“As a precautionary measure, all of the Company’s production and pipeline operations at the Beta Field have been shut down,” stated the Amplify Energy press release. “Amplify Energy is a fully engaged member of and working cooperatively with the unified command, consisting of the Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.”
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that 3,150 gallons of oil have been recovered from the ocean so far through clean-up efforts.
Oil is also seeping into the Talbert Marsh, a 25-acre wetland in Huntington Beach.
Crews and volunteers are working to clean up the oil. Skimmers and booms, which work as barriers, were deployed into the ocean to prevent any more oil from seeping into the Talbert Marsh wetlands, reported LA Times.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert, an incoming storm could stand in the way.
"This is mainly an upper-level storm that will be pushing onshore and likely bring just spotty showers over the LA Basin area," said Reppert, reported AccuWeather. "However, it will likely bring some higher swells into the area starting Monday and continuing into Tuesday. It's possible the increased swells could move the oil spill more and increase the size of it and affect any clean up.”
The storm is forecast to move onshore either late Oct. 4 or early Oct. 5 and move eastward throughout the day on Oct. 5. By Oct. 6, weather conditions in the area are expected to improve.
Donations to help the wildlife affected by the oil spill can be made to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center.
