Michael Heiman, Getty Images.
One of the most bizarre things I’ve experienced being away from home is hearing about California news from my roommate (she has never been to California, nor has she ever been on the west coast). On Monday morning while both of us were getting ready for class, she turns to me and exclaims that there was an oil spill in California, specifically in Orange County. I am not going to lie, I was confused as to how she knew that before I did, especially since my dad lives in Orange County. Low and behold, she was right about the oil spill.
In an article by the Associated Press, authors Stefanie Dazio and Christopher Weber detail a huge oil spill in Orange County (about an hour and a half from my home). Investigators assume that the anchor of a ship may have punctured an oil pipeline on the ocean floor, causing the pipe to relieve its contents into the water and the beaches surrounding it.
The oil leak was discovered on Sunday, October 3rd, however, the head of the pipeline company waited until Tuesday to take an action. The company head expected by Tuesday, October 5th, would “… be a clearer of what caused the damage” (Dazio, S., & Weber, C.).
The spill released up to 126,000 gallons into the ocean. This will result in Huntington Beach and other coastal communities closing their beaches for weeks or much longer (Dazio, S., & Weber, C.). Divers supplied by Amplify Energy, a separate company, are searching along with the affected areas for answers.
There is also another large legal aspect of this investigation as to who is at fault, and who can be charged. The Orange County district attorney, Todd Spitzer, is searching for the legality of bringing state charges for the spill, despite the leak occurring in waters overseen by the United States government. Spitzer told the public that Amplify should not be permitted near the scene at question without proper authority, as they are doing now. Amplify is not associated with the government nor any agency, they are their own private company in the business of oil production and supply.
The most worrisome aspect of this spill is the environmental effects it may take. Several species of marine life and birds are stuck in oil and are being suffocated. However, as of the article’s time of release, only four birds have been found so far. This does not mean that more have not been affected, nor does this mean that more animals will not be found. Veterinarian Michael Ziccardi stated that usually two to five days after an incident is when the most quantity of animals are collected.
Since it is still early on, not much has been released about the investigation nor what the expected outcome of this oil spill may be. The only thing to do at this point is to wait and see what news will be released in the following days.
Citation:
Dazio, S., & Weber, C. (2021, October 5). Did Ship’s Anchor cause California oil spill?
Maybe. . AP NEWS. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-california-environment-22556a1baa9644538db57e27aee2c26c.
Heiman, M.(2021). [Oil and seawater collect in a tidepool after a 126,000-gallon oil spill from an offshore oil platform on October 3, 2021 in Newport Beach, California]. Getty Images.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/04/photos-southern-california-coast-oil-spill-show-damage/5986903001/
It always surprises me to see so many environmental disasters in California. It’s as if they occur non-stop, one after another. It’s especially shocking because to my knowledge, the state of CA has implemented far more severe restrictions on emissions, pollution, and more (at least compared to PA). I’m really interested to see how this unfolds and hope the situation is under control sooner rather than later; images of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and its aftermath are still fresh in my mind all these years later.