Oil Spill

Huntington Beach

The oil spill was the largest oil spill of the recent years in California and it was caused by a pipeline 5 miles away.

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. It remains unknown when the slender, 13-inch crack in the pipeline began leaking oil.

By Sunday, there was no smell of oil and the sand looked largely clear by the Huntington Beach pier, where workers combed the sand for tar.The leak of at least 126,000 gallons of crude oil is one of the largest leaks of recent years in California. It was cause by a leak about 5 miles off the coast in a pipeline. But local officials worry about the environmental impact of the spill on wetlands, wildlife and the economy. With the ocean off-limits in the community dubbed Surf City USA, relatively few people were at the beach and shops that cater to them have been hurting.