Huntington Beach Oil Cleanup Continues To Progress While Fisheries Remain Closed
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA/AP) - More than a month after an oil line rupture off the coast of Huntington Beach, cleanup crews are still working to remove the oily waste that is plaguing California waters.
According to a report from the Associated Press, crews have cleaned up about a third of the crude oil that leaked from the pipe. They have now removed more than 500,000 pounds of tar balls - not including the oily sand, seaweed and driftwood.
It has now been over a week since any crew has found an oiled animal.
Lieutenant Christian Corbo of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that a lab testing for trace levels of hydrocarbons received samples of 350 fish this week. This testing will take up to three weeks to complete.
Tests that produce no levels of contamination will signal the beginning of fisheries finally getting to open again, after being closed since the pipeline was confirmed to be burst on October 2.
The burst line spilled approximately 25,000 gallons of crude oil. An environmental rescue response was immediately prompted to protect the surrounding environment, teams have saved hundreds of oil soaked creatures over the last month.
The City of Huntington Beach passed a resolution that supports the permanent ban of offshore drilling in response to this event. Jane Fonda even used her star-power to urge officials to make a change.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
