Problems
Orange County oil spill
The Orange County oil spill on October 1, 2021, is an oil spill that deposited crude oil onto popular Southern California beaches on the West Coast of the United States. While residents reported smelling fumes, a ship noticed an oil slick that evening and reported it to federal authorities. When oil from an underwater pipeline in the waters of coastal Orange County began washing ashore, officials in Huntington Beach closed the typically crowded beach in the evening of October 2. The U.S. Coast Guard estimated that spill covered 8,320 acres (3,370 ha) of the ocean's surface as they monitored it several times daily from the air. Investigations found a 17.7-mile (28.5 km) pipeline connecting offshore oil platforms with the shore had been displaced, possibly by being dragged by a ship's anchor.
Environmental effect
It only took a few hours for the oil to be up on the beach due to the short distance and the persistent westward and southwestern wind. The crude oil, like all Southern California oils, was extremely heavy, dark, and dense which tends to be more toxic than the lighter oils. Officials in Huntington Beach closed the typically crowded beach in the evening of October 2. By the morning of October 3, oil had already entered Talbert Marsh and other wetland areas of Huntington Beach. Crews worked to keep as much oil as possible out of ecologically sensitive areas with sand berms and floating booms. Oil that has entered an estuary and marsh habit cannot be cleaned up without causing more damage. It will eventually be sequestered by the sediment where it will take decades to degrade. These wetlands were restored in 1991 after having been severely degraded. Crude oil entered 127 acres (51 ha) of wetlands through an inlet to the ocean on a seven-foot high tide (2.1 m). The spill occurred right after nesting season and just before migratory birds come down so fewer birds were present than other seasons. Birds that gather in and around Huntington State Beach include gulls, willet, long-billed fletcher, Elegant terns and reddish egret. Forty-five birds were already dead when they arrived at the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. Exposure to oil weighs a bird down causing them to expend more energy to fly, float and maintain their body temperature. Instead of hunting for food on the water, they lie on the beach trying to stay warm. By October 12, wildlife officials had found 28 oil-covered birds which underwent a cleaning and rehabilitation program. A mixture of solvent, dish soap and warm water is used to remove the oil. Six of those birds died or were euthanized. Significant impacts can still occur to birds and marine life from the exposure that they get subtly through their diet or because of physical contact later on which might affect their physiology, their health and translate into a lower reproductive success. South of Orange County, tar balls were found along the beaches in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Del Mar, in San Diego County. Some of these beaches were reopened by October 7.By October 8, air quality in Orange County was back to normal and below California health standards for the pollutants that were measured. The oil platforms are home to millions of sea creatures, and the spill raised questions about whether they would survive.
Economic impact
Businesses have experienced economic loss from the closure of beaches and harbors. This was peak season along this stretch of coastline where surfing is popular. Surf schools and surfboard rental business were unable to operate. Whale watching boats were not allowed to take customers out. Many of these businesses had been shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic and had only recently reopened. The spill occurred during the second day of the Pacific Airshow, being held at Huntington Beach. Concern over public safety prompted officials to cancel the third and final day of the event. While crews continued combing the shores for vestiges of oil and tar, beaches were fully reopened on October 11 when water quality test results showed nondetectable amounts of oil contaminants. A temporary ban on commercial and recreational fishing in an area that stretches about 20 miles (32 km) from Sunset Beach south to San Clemente and extends 6 miles (9.7 km) out to sea was put in place by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Local fish markets were impacted by public perception even though the fish were caught in safe areas miles away from the spill. The ban on the taking of fish and shellfish was lifted November 30. Some fisherman have joined lawsuits against Amplify. The Small Business Administration declared the county a disaster area on October 27. The low-interest loans provide access to funds while small businesses and nonprofits await reimbursement
Gallery
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Timelines
2022
August 01
In August 2022, Amplify announced it would plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor negligent discharge of oil related to the leak. Amplify said it would pay a fine of about $7 million over three years and reimburse almost $6 million to government agencies, pending court approval of the agreement. As part of the proposed agreement, the company will also install a new leak detection system.
2021
October 09
During the days, workers in hazmat gear scoured the beaches to find and remove tar balls and any traces of damage from the spill. More than 1,300 workers were cleaning the shoreline in much of Orange County by October 9.
October 06
By November 6, about a third of the shoreline was nearing final cleanup approval as crews continued to collect tar balls along with sand, seaweed and driftwood tainted with oil.
October 05
The Unified Command holds a press conference announcing its timeline of actions and explaining what divers and remote operated vehicles, or ROVs, had learned about the source of the leak. "The pipeline has essentially been pulled like a bow string," Willsher, the Amplify Energy CEO, said at a news conference Tuesday. "And so at its widest point, it is about 105 feet away from where it was. So, it is kind of in almost a semicircle." A preliminary report indicates the partial tear could have been caused by an anchor that hooked the pipeline, the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a notice to Amplify Energy. Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency due to the oil spill.
October 04
Divers confirm that a 4,000-foot section of the pipeline was displaced about 105 feet and had a 13-inch split along its side that was likely the source of the leak, the Unified Command says.
October 03
Huntington Beach officials report that up to 3,000 barrels, or about 126,000 gallons, of crude oil spewed into the ocean, and later increased the maximum potential oil to 144,000 gallons. At 1:41 p.m., the US Coast Guard submits a second NRC report that notes marine life covered in oil and dead fish. At 2:20 p.m., the Coast Guard submits a third NRC report saying that the failure may have been caused by a crack in the pipeline. California Department of Fish and Wildlife issues declaration of fisheries closure and public health threat caused by oil spill.
October 02
Control room operators on platform Elly shut down the pipeline at 6:01 a.m. on October 2 in response to a low-pressure alarm according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The operators notified the Coast Guard at 9:07 a.m. The pipeline was suctioned at both ends to stop the flow of oil after it was shut down.
October 01
An alarm from a leak detection system sounded at 4:10 p.m. on October 1 and the operators shut down the pipeline. Believing that the system was providing false alarms for a leak at the platform, they began a series of restarting and stopping the flow of oil throughout the night. In the afternoon and evening of October 1, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach residents were already noticing a strong odor and called the police department to report the smell of oil fumes or hot roofing bitumen. Multiple calls concerning a possible spill north of the Huntington Beach Pier came in over a marine radio emergency channel from boats leaving the Pacific Airshow. The harbor patrol looked for the spill but found nothing on the water. In the evening, a foreign ship anchored off the coast reported a possible oil slick about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Huntington Beach. A satellite image from the European Space Agency was reviewed by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration analyst which confirmed a substance on the water which was most likely petroleum. The Marine Oil Spill Thickness (MOST) project also deployed Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) to assist by measuring the thickness of the oil spill from an aircraft. The National Response Center, staffed by United States Coast Guard officers and marine science technicians, is the sole federal point of contact for reporting all hazardous substances releases and oil spills. They forwarded the information to the Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), a division of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife charged with handling such emergencies. OSPR dispatched but encountered foggy conditions. The Coast Guard and Orange County Sheriff’s Department flew out once the fog had lifted to the reported leak location to investigate.