Oil Spill off the coast of Orange County

Orange County Oil Spill Disaster

Enough is enough. Help Surfrider to stop offshore drilling and hold big oil accountable! Take a stand with the Surfrider Foundation as we respond to the ecological damage from the oil spill crisis and fight for clean water and healthy beaches in Orange County, California.

At least 24,696 gallons of oil spewed from a pipeline approximately 4 ½ miles off the treasured coast of Southern California near an offshore drilling platform (Elly) on Saturday, October 2nd. This oil spill has devastated birds, fish, wildlife and people, like you and me, who care deeply about our coasts.

Clean up crews removed 549,658 lbs of tarballs, oiled sand and debris from the shoreline alone. The spill caused grave impacts to communities and businesses through disruption of coastal recreation and tourism, and a fishery closure of 642 square miles that was in effect for two months. The precious Talbert Marsh, a wetlands habitat for at least 90 bird species, is one of the affected areas. It will take months before we know the full extent of the ecological and recreational damage. For now, impacts to wildlife can be found here: https://owcn.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/pipeline-p00547-incident.

Governor Gavin Newsom immediately declared a state of emergency due to the spill. Visit the Southern California Spill Response website for information from Unified Command about the cleanup and what transpired.
According to CNN, authorities were notified of the oil sheen 12 hours before the operator of the line, Amplify Energy Corp., reported it to state and federal officials. Multiple investigations into the cause of the incident are underway.
In late December a federal grand jury announced criminal negligence charges against Amplify Energy. For more information see the LA Times article. Questions about the investigation can be sent to OCOILSPILLINV@gmail.com.

Download the ArcGIS QuickCapture mobile app from your device's app store. (Apple IOS, Android)
Click “Proceed without signing in”
Scan the QR code to reach the Tar Reporting Project
Enter your name and email. Your information will not be published with your observations.
Go to the beach and record sightings.
Optional: Turn on “track my steps” to help other volunteers identify which beaches have recently been observed.

For more info on the project and to see a map of data collected: http://go.surfrider.org/oilreport

This spill is exactly why we’ve fought Big Oil for decades. It will take days, weeks, months and years to respond to this spill, and we need to prevent others now.

Take A Stand With Us To:

Hold the polluters accountable for this disaster. Surfrider is fighting to ensure that the company abides by the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act, a law that requires companies to mitigate ecological harm after a spill and prevent future spills by investing money into spill prevention .
Shortly after the spill, Surfrider Foundation was appointed as NGO Liaison by the Unified Command to support the cleanup effort and facilitate communication with other NGOs and the public. We submitted daily updates from our tarball reporting app to the CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife to inform the Unified Command’s shoreline cleanup and response. With the cleanup officially concluded, the app allows regular beach users to report tarballs that may appear over time, thus reactivating clean-up efforts.
Stop the deadly extraction of fossil fuels NOW. We are urging Congress to permanently prohibit new offshore drilling in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Please take action and contact your representatives in support!

This spill is exactly why we’ve fought Big Oil for decades. It will take days, weeks, months and years to respond to this spill, and we need to prevent others now.

Take A Stand With Us To:

Hold the polluters accountable for this disaster. Surfrider is fighting to ensure that the company abides by the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act, a law that requires companies to mitigate ecological harm after a spill and prevent future spills by investing money into spill prevention .
Shortly after the spill, Surfrider Foundation was appointed as NGO Liaison by the Unified Command to support the cleanup effort and facilitate communication with other NGOs and the public. We submitted daily updates from our tarball reporting app to the CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife to inform the Unified Command’s shoreline cleanup and response. With the cleanup officially concluded, the app allows regular beach users to report tarballs that may appear over time, thus reactivating clean-up efforts.
Stop the deadly extraction of fossil fuels NOW. We are urging Congress to permanently prohibit new offshore drilling in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Please take action and contact your representatives in support!

We’re the largest network of coastal defenders in the world.

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network.

Founded in 1984, Surfrider is a national network of chapter volunteers serving as the first response to local threats in coastal communities across the US.

Thanks to the support of generous donors, our volunteers are the boots on the ground who collaborate on both the local and national level with regional staff and issue experts to carry out our mission.

Orange County Oil Spill Disaster

The Impacts Are Devastating

Another Spill Off Our Coasts

Report Tar Balls, Do Not Pick Them Up

For updates on how to help, text “OILSPILL” to 51555

Surfrider Vehemently Opposes Offshore Drilling

Take A Stand With Us To:

Surfrider Vehemently Opposes Offshore Drilling

Take A Stand With Us To:

Together, we can transform this horrific spill into a turning point that puts a stop to oil drilling on our beloved coasts for good.

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