2021 Orange County Oil Spill Response
(Updated November 1, 2021)
Background
The City of Huntington Beach, in coordination with Federal, State, and other local agencies, is continually assessing and contributing towards mitigation efforts for the Orange County Oil Spill (Pipeline P00547 Incident). The oil spill has significantly affected the City, with substantial ecological impacts occurring at the beach and at the Huntington Beach Wetlands. In response, Huntington Beach Fire and Marine Safety personnel had been deployed to implement oil containment efforts.
The US Coast Guard is the lead agency and formed an Incident Management Team (comprised of federal, state and regional agencies) to respond to the oil spill incident and coordinate clean-up efforts. A Unified Command Team that includes the US Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Amplify Energy Corporation has also been established to investigate the oil spill incident. Based on the most current information available, the leak originated from a broken pipeline connected to Oil Platform Elly, an oil rig located off the coast of Huntington Beach and owned by Amplify Energy Corporation based in Long Beach. Amplify is working with the IMT to mitigate the oil spill and make repairs to the leak, which has been stopped.
As additional details are made available by the US Coast Guard, the City will post them on this website and social media platforms. Regular updates regarding mitigation efforts, environmental issues, and all other updates are posted below. We thank the community for their support during this challenging situation.
Current Closures and Restrictions
Closures are necessary to limit public access to oil-impacted areas, due to the toxicity of the oil and ongoing cleanup efforts led by the Incident Management Team. At this time, please follow the current restrictions and closures that are currently in place:
- Recreational fishing between Sunset Beach and Dana Point from the shoreline to six miles out is prohibited.
- As of October 11, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. both City and State beaches have reopened. Additionally, recreational fishing may resume. The joint decision to reopen comes after coastal ocean and wetlands water quality testing results showed non-detectable amounts of oil associated toxins in our ocean water. Water quality testing will continue twice a week for at least the next two weeks to monitor potential toxins. Water quality results will be made available on this page.
Up to Date Information
The most up-to-date information regarding the oil spill can be found here:
Press Releases and Key Documents
Huntington Beach City & State Beaches to Reopen October 11, 2021 at 6:00 a.m.
10/4/21 - Response Efforts Presentation to City Council
City of Huntington Social Media:
Air and Water Quality Reports
At this time, South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is monitoring air quality conditions in Orange County and will advise residents if there are any air quality concerns. These air quality updates will also be posted on this website.
The City is also working with water quality experts to take regular samples of the water along our coast and inlets to determine the level of contaminants that are associated with the oil spill. As this effort continues, additional information will be made available on this site.
10/19/21 Water Quality Results
10/14/21 Water Quality Results
10/12/21 Water Quality Results
10/10/21 Water Quality Results
How You Can Help
The City has been overwhelmed by the community’s generous offers to volunteer in clean-up efforts. At this time, volunteer services are NOT needed, since the Incident Management Team is deploying professional crews and skimming boats. When public volunteer activities are organized, they will be listed here.
To donate funds:
Bolsa Chica Conservancy's Oil Spill Emergency Response Fund
To learn about oiled wildlife:
Please not attempt to capture the wildlife yourself. Instead, report oiled wildlife at 877-823-6926. You can also monitor the following sites for updates and the number of oiled wildlife impacted.
OC Habitats at www.ochabitats.org
Oiled Wildlife Care Network at https://owcn.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/pipeline-p00547-incident
To assist with future cleanup efforts:
While Huntington Beach volunteer cleanups are not being conducted at this time, please monitor the Southern California Spill Response website for future volunteer opportunities:
Contact Information
- Health related questions – Orange County Health Care Agency: (714) 834-2000
- General inquiries – Huntington Beach Call Center at (714) 536-5511 (The general inquiries hotline will be closing on Friday, November 5)
- Report wildlife concerns – Oiled Wildlife Care Network (877) 823-6926
- Lost revenue & damage claims – Global Risk Solutions (866) 985-8366 and reference the Pipeline P00547 Incident
- Details on Unified Command Response/Investigation: www.socalspillresponse.com
Did you know?
The Police Department provides FREE security checks of your home while you are on vacation! This service is provided courtesy of the HBPD Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Sign up online for this free service.
