Officials investigating potential oil spill off Huntington Beach in California

Authorities in California are investigating a potential oil spill at the famed Huntington Beach in Los Angeles. Officials reported on Friday that a 2.5-mile-long oily sheen was discovered off the coast. The Coast Guard first received the report of an “unknown substance” near the Emmy and Eva oil platforms.

Petty Officer Richard Brahm said, “We are going all out to find out what this is because we don’t know what this is,” adding, “As far as we can tell, it’s not a spill,” per The Guardian.

Back in 2021, a serious offshore leak occurred close to Huntington Beach. In a statement released by the US Coast Guard on Friday, March 8, “Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach Command Center received a report at 6:50 p.m. Thursday of an unknown substance in the water 1.5 miles off the coast of Huntington Beach.”

Amid the ongoing investigation, Emmy operator California Resource Corp. confirmed that there were no leaks or spills emerging from its installation, per Bloomberg.

The statement goes on to add, “Watchstanders at the Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center notified Coast Guard Pollution Responders, who began investigative work through the night with CDFW-OSPR, Huntington Beach Lifeguards, and Orange County Sheriff’s Department.”

At around 6:30 am, the Coast Guard Pollution Responders went via a Newport Harbor Patrol boat to investigate the matter.

Additionally, a helicopter was also deployed by the authorities to conduct an overflight investigation in the affected area. The statement adds that officials are “contacting all potential spill sources in the area, but no source has been identified.”

The Coast Guard has also “hired an oil spill response organization to conduct offshore oil collection and is working to identify possible impacts to the shoreline and environmental protection strategies,” the statement adds.

Per the official statement, “no oiled wildlife has been observed.” The Coast Guard also issued a warning to the public “not to approach impacted animals if observed and to call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.”