City Officials: Oil Sheen In Huntington Beach No Longer Visible

City officials are reporting that an oil sheen in Huntington Beach is now no longer visible, after about 85 gallons of the substance — or about 85 percent of it — was recovered Friday evening, before rough sea conditions cut short the clean up operation.

Saturday morning, a Coast Guard helicopter flying over the area reported that the water was clear of the substance.

But tarballs that were found on the beach have remained. Officials said while they don't believe a beach closure is necessary, cleanup crews have been on hand for their removal and disposal.

They have asked beachgoers to notify lifeguards if they see them, and to not pick them up.

Orange County officials, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are still working to determine the cause.

The oil sheen, around 2.5 miles in length and half a mile wide, was first spotted just off the Huntington Beach coast on Friday morning.

Though the source of the oil sheen has yet to be determined, State Sen. Dave Min, who represents Huntington Beach, called for a shutdown of offshore oil platforms.

"There are no incentives to invest in safety measures or upgrading the infrastructure," Min said. "There will be more oil spills unless and until these operations are shut down."

In 2021, an oil pump line dumped about 25,000 gallons of crude oil into Orange County's coastal waters with the slick spanning from Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach to Corona del Mar. Clean up on some of the affected beaches lasted a month and it resulted in the death of some marine life.

Last year, Assembly Bill 631 passed, which increases penalties and fines for oil companies that cause major spills or other hazards.