LOS ANGELES, United States: The US Coast Guard is investigating a two-mile-long oil spill off the coast near Los Angeles in California, officials said Friday.
The spill has been spotted close to two oil rigs off the coast of Huntington Beach, popular for its world-famous surfing. However, the source is not yet known, according to the Coast Guard statement.
The Coast Guard is contacting all possible sources of the spill in the area, but no source has been determined yet.
Authorities are working to identify potential coastal impacts and environmental protection strategies, but so far “no oiled wildlife has been observed,” the statement said.
The leak was first spotted on Thursday evening, and was primarily believed to be a sewage spill, the California Department of Wildlife said.
But an overflight observed an oil sheen this morning. More information will be provided, said the ministry’s prevention and response office.
The Coast Guard said a patrol boat and helicopter found the shiner currently 2.5 miles long and half a mile wide.
The authorities have not yet ordered any beach closures.
In 2021, a ruptured pipeline leaked an estimated 25,000 gallons of oil onto beaches in the area south of Los Angeles.
The waters are home to wildlife including dolphins, whales, and otters.
