Officials said that Huntington Beach closed the ocean waters between the Santa Ana River Jetty and the city pier on Saturday night due to an oil leak. The incident was caused by the U.S. Coast Guard investigating earlier in the day. Saturday night, oil reached Huntington Beach and was expected to impact beaches in Newport Beach. Jennifer Carey, spokesperson for Huntington Beach Police Department, stated that the spillage was approximately 126,000 gallons. Carey said that the oil reached Huntington Beach shoreline, but booms were quickly put in place to prevent any further damage to the wetlands or address ecological concerns. Some oil was found in Talbert Marsh off Brookhurst Street and Pacific Coast Highway. Kim Carr, Huntington Beach mayor, described the situation in a “potential ecological disaster” and stated that some oil reached the Santa Ana River Trail. Officials advised people to avoid the beach due to the possible health risks, including toxic fumes that could also pose a threat to marine life. Newport Beach said that a large oil spillage — which it described as a “larger oil spillage” — was likely to reach the shores late Saturday, between the Corona del Mar Main Beach and Balboa Pier. At 9:10 am Saturday, the Coast Guard received first reports about an oily sheen off Newport Beach’s coast. It was responding to an oil leakage measuring 13 miles across, located 3 miles offshore of Newport Beach, at 12:15 p.m. The cause of the oil spillage was not immediately known. Will O’Neill, Newport Beach City Councilman, posted Saturday evening on social media that the spillage was caused by a mechanical problem at an oil platform seven miles off Huntington Beach. As of Saturday evening, the Coast Guard had not yet confirmed the cause and stated that it was still under investigation. Officials said that an oil spillage caused by an issue at the U.S. Coast Guard earlier in the day closed the ocean waters around Huntington Beach’s Santa Ana River jetty and city pier. Saturday night, oil reached Huntington Beach and was expected to impact beaches in Newport Beach. Jennifer Carey, spokesperson for Huntington Beach Police Department, stated that the spillage was approximately 126,000 gallons. Carey said that the oil reached Huntington Beach shoreline, but booms were quickly put in place to prevent any further damage to the wetlands or address ecological concerns. Some oil was found in Talbert Marsh off Brookhurst Street and Pacific Coast Highway. Kim Carr, Huntington Beach mayor, described the situation in a “potential ecological disaster” and stated that some oil reached the Santa Ana River Trail. Officials advised people to avoid the beach due to the possible health risks, including toxic fumes that could also pose a threat to marine life. Newport Beach said that a large oil spillage — which it described as a “larger oil spillage” — was likely to reach the shores late Saturday, between the Corona del Mar Main Beach and Balboa Pier. At 9:10 am Saturday, the Coast Guard received first reports about an oily sheen off Newport Beach’s coast. It was responding to an oil leakage measuring 13 miles across, located 3 miles offshore of Newport Beach, at 12:15 p.m. The cause of the oil spillage was not immediately known. Will O’Neill, Newport Beach City Councilman, posted Saturday evening on social media that the spillage was caused by a mechanical problem at an oil platform seven miles off Huntington Beach. As of Saturday night, the Coast Guard had not yet confirmed the cause of the incident and stated that it was still under investigation. Carey stated that the Orange County Health Care Agency would assess the spillage and develop a plan for clean-up on Sunday morning. After the crew had finished helping with the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, the Newport Beach Fire Department would send a rescue boat to the area Saturday, according to Battalion Chief Brent Jacobsen. As of Saturday night, it was not clear if Sunday’s airshow would be affected by the spilled liquid and the spill response.
