Coast Guard investigates oil spill spotted in California off Huntington Beach's coast

Julia Gomez, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read

An oil spill off the coast of California's Huntington Beach was spotted and the U.S. Coast Guard is trying to track down the source, the Coast Guard states in a press release.

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, and the Orange County Sheriff's Department established a Unified Response after an unknown substance on Thursday at 6:50 p.m. around 1.5 miles off the coast of Huntington Beach, which is an hour south of Los Angeles. Huntington Beach Lifeguards also helped in the investigation.

The oil sheen was 2.5 miles long and half a mile wide near two oil rigs that are about 2.5 miles off the coast, according to the release.

The Coast Guard says it recovered around 85% of the sheen, which was roughly 85 gallons, on Friday. But, ocean conditions caused them to stop for the evening.

"The Coast Guard is contacting all potential spill sources in the area, but no source has been identified," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

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Oil spill's impact on environment being monitored

The Coast Guard said it brought in an oil spill response organization that will start collecting offshore oil and identify any possible effects the spill will have on the shoreline. It is also creating environmental protection strategies.

Currently, only one oiled animal, a grebe, was recovered.

The Coast Guard asks members of the public not to approach wildlife impacted by the spill.

If an oiled animal is spotted, call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.

This is not an informational or volunteer hotline, those interested in volunteering visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's website.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coast Guard spots oil spill off Huntington Beach coast: What to know