California Oil Spill Ruins Wildlife Habitat

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California Oil Spill Ruins Wildlife Habitat

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Oil spill on a beach (copyright by Shutterstock/jukurae)
Oil spill on a beach (copyright by Shutterstock/jukurae)

An oil pipeline connected to the Elly oil rig, one of three platforms run by Houston based  oil and gas company Amplify Energy, sprung a leak either late Friday or early Saturday morning, spilling an estimated 572,807 liters of crude oil near Huntington Beach, California. Martyn Willsher, CEO of Amplify, said he does not expect more oil from the breach, as the entire pipeline was suctioned out and dozens of nearby oil platforms operated by Amplify were shut down.

The oil has infiltrated all of the (Talbert) Wetlands. There's significant impacts to wildlife there," said Huntington Beach, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley. "These are wetlands that we've been working with the Army Corps of Engineers, with the Land Trust, with all the community wildlife partners to make sure to create this beautiful, natural habitat for decades. And now in just a day, it's completely destroyed."

"We are fully committed to being out here until this incident is fully concluded," Willsher said, adding the company is working with numerous local, state and federal agencies on recovery efforts.

"Our employees live and work in these communities, and we're all deeply impacted and concerned about the impact on not just the environment, but the fish and wildlife as well," Willsher said. "We will do everything in our power to ensure that this is recovered as quickly as possible, and we won't be done until this is concluded."

Willsher noted that his company notified the Coast Guard Saturday morning when employees were conducting a line inspection and they noticed a sheen in the water.

The pipeline spilling the oil was constructed in the late 70s and early 80s.

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