Diesel Fuel Spill In Huntington Harbor Reported 7 Hours After Discovery
A diesel fuel spill in Huntington Harbor was discovered late on Wednesday night after it had reached the size of a football field.
People near the marina smelled a strong odor of fuel and noticed the sheen around 4pm on Wednesday, but the slick wasn't reported to the Huntington Beach Fire Department until around 11pm last night.
The Huntington Beach Fire Department, the Orange County Fire Department, the California Department of Fish and Game and the U-S Coast Guard have been working since last night to contain the spill, reports City News Service. Crews on boats were stretching containment booms around the slick to prevent it from spreading.
The source of the spill remains a mystery, but it does not appear to be a docked boat. The California Department of Fish and Game planned to confirm at daylight whether or not an investigation into the spill is warranted. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class John Thompson told a news camera crew at the scene that "no boats will be allowed in or out of Peter's Landing Marina until late this afternoon," reports Contra Costa Times.
KPCC reported this morning that the size of the spill was actually half the size of a football field.
"There does not appear to be any immediate damage to property or injury to wildlife as a result of the incident," said Huntington Beach Fire Department spokesman Jeff Lopez.
