Bolsa Chica Oil Spill Cleanup Begins Friday

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — Officials are working to clean up an oil spill spotted about two nautical miles off the north Orange County Coastline, near Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve and the Huntington Beach Wetlands.

The oil slick is approximately 20 yards wide by 150 yards long, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.

"At this time, we have not identified any additional oil in the area," Huntington Beach Police's information officer Jennifer Carey reported Friday.

The source of the spill was not immediately known, though a "pinhole" sized leak in an Orange County oil pipeline was a probable cause.

The spill was identified after residents reported a "strong oil smell" near Pacific Coast Highway and Warner on Wednesday night. The United States Coast Guard has deployed booms at the Bolsa Chica and Huntington Beach Wetlands inlet channels as a precaution.

No shoreline impacts have been observed, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, southern California.

The Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach stood ready to care for oiled wildlife, Executive Director Debbie McGuire told Patch. It was not known if the center was caring for any oiled wildlife.

If you see oiled wildlife, call the Oiled Wildlife Reporting line at 877-823-6926.

"Please do not attempt to capture. Call first," McGuire said.

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