Orange County Oil Spill: Seal Beach Spared From Damage

SEAL BEACH, CA — Seal Beach may yet be spared from the massive oil spill shutting down beaches and devastating wildlife in Huntington Beach and farther south.

As of Monday, there was no sign of oil or tar balls along Seal Beach’s coastline. Officials were hopeful that southerly winds will keep the oil slick from pushing farther north into Surfside. All of Seal Beach’s coastline remains open.

“Luckily for us, the oil spill happened to the south of us,” Said Gregg Smith, spokesman for the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, which is home to the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge that stingrays, small sharks and turtles use as a nursery. “There is no oil that is inside Anaheim Bay or the National Wildlife wetlands.”

A pipeline from the Port of Long Beach to the offshore oil platform Elly leaked off the coast of Newport Beach Saturday and dumped 126,000 gallons of crude oil into the water in one of the largest ecological disasters to hit Orange County beaches in decades. The oil spill covered about 5.8 nautical miles of shoreline, forcing closures from Huntington Beach to Laguna Beach.

See: Orange County Oil Spill: Photos As Ocean Cleanup Ensues

Officials with the Seal Beach Marine Safety and Lifeguards Department have been monitoring the coast for any signs of oil.

“So far, so good. We are monitoring and watching, and so far we have not see any oil hit our shores as of yet," said Chief Joe Bailey.

Currents pushed the slick northward on Sunday, expanding beach closures to Seapoint Street in Huntington Beach, but the slick stopped shy of Seal Beach.

Projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed a high likelihood that the slick will continue to move in a southerly direction, Bailey said. Winds on Monday afternoon were expected to work in Seal Beach’s favor.

If residents do see an oil sheen or tar balls in Surfside, they should contact the Marine Safety Department. Beachgoers were advised to avoid any oil areas or affected wildlife.

Volunteers are not needed at this point because trained spill response contractors are working to clean up the oil, Bailey said. Anyone who sees injured marine life can contact the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 877-823-6926.

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