SAN PEDRO, Calif. – The Unified Command continues its response Friday to an oil sheen located two and a half miles off Huntington Beach.
Approximately 85% of the sheen, roughly 85 gallons of product, was recovered before the deteriorating sea state caused operations to pause for the evening.
A Coast Guard helicopter will conduct an overflight at first light to assess if there is any sheen or oil product in the water. The Unified Command has also authorized an onshore recovery team to conduct shoreline assessments and cleanup.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) has been activated, and crews are investigating reports of oiled wildlife. As of 2 p.m. on March 8, one oiled grebe has been recovered. Anyone observing oiled wildlife should not attempt to capture it. Instead, please report observations of oiled wildlife to the oiled wildlife hotline at 1-877-UCD-OWCN (1-877-823-6926). This is not an informational or volunteer hotline.
The unified command consists of the Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW-OSPR), and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The investigation continues into the cause of the sheen.
Initial press release: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3701744/unified-command-is-responding-to-oil-sheen-offshore-of-huntington-beach/