Oil Spill Catastrophe in California

{youtube}CGJjeNbtvhs&t=10s{/youtube}

According to reports, an oil rig four nautical miles offshore from Huntington was responsible for the crisis, with an estimated half a million litres of crude oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean. The iconic Californian break, as well as beaches in Laguna and Newport, have been closed by authorities.

The disaster again raised the question of offshore drilling near ecologically sensitive or built-up areas. In a statement published on the Surfrider Foundation website, CEO Dr Chad Nelsen said: "That is why the Surfrider Foundation has consistently opposed new offshore oil drilling and we ask you to join A thick black toxic sludge is washing up on beaches, killing sea life such as birds, fish and ocean mammals and ruining tourism and surfing on the cusp of the winter swell seasonus in that opposition. We need a strong public response to combat special interests that are constantly pressing for more drilling along our precious coastlines."

"Sadly, once the oil is spilled it is too late. As we are again learning in Southern California, once the disaster has occurred we can only try to minimize the damage," he said.

Just last week Griffin Colapinto and Caitlin Simmers celebrated their career-best wins at the US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach presented by Shiseido, with the finals held in pristine 6-8ft walls. Now, a thick black toxic sludge is washing up on beaches, killing sea life such as birds, fish and ocean mammals and ruining tourism and surfing on the cusp of the winter swell season.

Martyn Willsher, president and chief executive officer of Houson-based Amplify Energy, told CNN that the maximum amount of oil that spilled during the leak from their rig was 3,111 barrels, which is 127,000 gallons (487,000 litres).

A 13-mile wide slick is floating off the coast, and has started to come ashore. On Sunday morning, city officials closed beaches from Huntington Beach Pier to Newport Beach.

"The public is discouraged from actively participating in the clean up or trying to save oiled wildlife because the oil is highly toxic and you can cause more harm than good," reads a statement released by Surfrider. "It is imperative that only those with the proper training are involved with the cleanup. Members of the public should not go near the spill, as oil contains dangerous chemicals. The public can help by reporting oil or wildlife sightings and taking photos to document the disaster."

The platform is owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy. According to multiple news reports, they notified the Coast Guard on Saturday morning that a team noticed a sheen in the water while performing a routine line inspection.

The spill is approximately the same size as the one that occurred at Refugio Beach up in Santa Barbara back in 2015. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Huntington has suffered from an oil spill. In 1990, an oil tanker ran over its anchor, puncturing its hull and spilling more than 417,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean.

Visit www.Surfrider.org for developing news.