Massive Oil Spill Motivated Californian Governor to impose State of Emergency

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On Tuesday, the Orange County board of supervisors has declared a local emergency. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Orange County in response to a massive oil spill near Huntington Beach over the weekend. Point to be noted that an offshore oil rig leaked at least 126,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean over the weekend. It was considered the largest oil spill the area has ever seen over decades. Several state and local agencies are investigating the cause of the spill and working on clean-up efforts. The pipeline was spewing oil into the ocean for nearly 12 hours before any action was taken to stop it. The Coast Guard received reports of an unknown sheen on the water late Friday night but said it didn’t have enough information to deploy boats.

However, Amplify Energy operates the pipeline but didn’t report the leak until Saturday morning. On Tuesday, Coast Guard Captain Rebecca Ore said in a news conference that all of the agency’s findings would be turned over to investigators. The agency said a portion of a split pipeline moved more than 100 feet across the ocean floor. Crews didn’t find any evidence of a vessel being above the pipeline around the time of the leak. Ore said, “We’re going to continue to scale up as our teams come in from around the country and pick up as much as we can as soon as it’s identified”. Newsom’s emergency declaration sent additional personnel to assist with the cleanup. The county supervisor, Katrina Foley said the local order would also ensure that county resources are available to respond to and recover from this oil spill.

Moreover, the National Audubon Society said that a spill of this magnitude is a disaster for birds. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network also said that at least 8 birds have been recovered alive from the oil spill’s aftermath. The executive director of Audubon California, Sarah Rose said, “This spill in virtually the same spot as a devastating 1990 spill. It is a reminder that petroleum and water are a dangerous mix along California’s precious coast and that continued reliance on oil kills birds and other wildlife, threatens our public health, and harms local economies and recreational opportunities”. Newsom said the state is on the path of phasing out fossil fuel usage. He said, “The state is moving to cut red tape and mobilize all available resources to protect public health and the environment”.