On March 7, a 2-mile oil sheen was reported off the coast of Huntington Beach, CA.

This comes just over two years after the Amplify Energy Oil Spill spewed 25,000 gallons of oil into the ocean and caused significant harm to the region, including the Talbert Marsh wetlands.

Following the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard launched a cleanup response that concluded on March 11. Cleanup crews recovered approximately 85 gallons of product from offshore recovery and removed about 1,050 pounds of oily waste and tar balls from the shoreline. 

While an official investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the oil slick, the incident is yet another stark reminder that we must end the dangerous practice of fossil fuel extraction in our ocean.

Oil spills have the potential to cause devastating impacts to wildlife, the marine environment, and the coastline — in addition to significant economic and recreational impacts. The public should never attempt to clean up oil tarballs or affected wildlife, as oil contains dangerous chemicals. From California to the Gulf of Mexico, aging oil and gas infrastructure in U.S. waters poses a major threat to the environment and coastal communities. This is why the Surfrider Foundation supports the timely and comprehensive decommissioning of aging offshore oil and gas infrastructure in U.S. waters, as well as an end to new drilling.

What can you do? 

Below are links to resources and ways to help.