Up to 144,000 gallons of oil leaked into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, forcing activities near the Huntington Beach region to shut down.HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- The company that operates the pipeline suspected in one of California's largest oil spills has been cited 72 times for safety and environmental violations that were severe enough that drilling had to be curtailed or stopped to fix the problem, regulatory records show.
Environmentalists had feared the oil might devastate birds and marine life in the area. But Michael Ziccardi, a veterinarian and director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, said only four oily birds had been found so far. One suffered chronic injuries and had to be euthanized, he said.Ziccardi said he’s “cautiously optimistic,” but it’s too soon to know the extent of the spill’s effect on wildlife.
Investors shared Willsher’s optimism, sending the company's stock up more than sevenfold since the beginning of the year to $5.75 at the close of trading on Friday. The stock plunged more than 40% in morning trading Monday. But it was not until Saturday afternoon that the Coast Guard said an oil slick had been spotted and a unified command established to respond. And it took until Saturday night for the company to shut down the pipeline.
Some of the oil washed up on the shores of Orange County. The city and state beaches at Huntington Beach were closed, and late Sunday the city of Laguna Beach, just to the south, said its beaches also were closed.
Maybe ProcterGamble could donate some DawnDish soap to help clean the birds
It didn't deserve this! Humans are the worst! BanFossilFuels If we can't live simply, we don't deserve Earth.
There are literally hundreds of dead birds all over the bolsa chica wetlands and sand by the beach. I can only imagine all the fish, whales, dolphins and stingrays. Not to mention the toxic oil smell we all have endured since Friday night! This is horrible!