Devastating Oil Spill Off Southern California Coast
The grand finale of the Huntington Beach air show was cancelled Sunday because of a gigantic oil spill off the coast of Orange County.
According to the Los Angeles Times, there’s an oil slick that has so far dumped over 120,000 gallons of oil into the coastal waters off Orange County. It seems likely that there’s a pipeline leak somewhere causing the spill.
Everybody from the local lifeguards to the U.S. Coast Guard are involved trying to clean up the oil spill in Orange County today. Locals are urged not to approach any wildlife, whether they appear to be impacted by the oil spill or not.
Initial reports on Sunday have stated that the oil spill off the California coast seems to be about 13 square miles, and officials have urged locals to avoid Newport Beach and Huntington Beach today.
Teams are desperately trying to prevent the oil spill from reaching the Huntington Beach Wetlands or the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.
The Huntington Beach air show, also called The Great Pacific Air Show, was cancelled so that the city could focus on helping with cleanup efforts for the spill, along with the Coast Guard and various California state agencies.
Early Sunday, the Orange County Supervisor told local news media that there was still oil leaking from a broken pipeline off the coast of Orange County, California. The leak is said to be about five miles off the beach.
The mayor of Huntington Beach is calling this oil spill an ecological disaster. Officials are warning locals that the oil spill is toxic, which is why they should stay off the beach and avoid touching wildlife. Social media streams are buzzing with saddened — and outraged — locals concerned for the ecological ramifications of this oil spill.
Will the oil spill effect San Diego beaches? It may be too early to tell yet. However, many birds and fish in Orange County have already been killed.
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