Oceanside Lifeguards Find Oil Tarballs On Local Beaches

OCEANSIDE, CA — Last week's oil spill off the coast of Orange County appears to have reached Oceanside beaches, according to a recent press release from the City of Oceanside.

On Wednesday night, Oceanside Lifeguards reported finding oil tarballs that were reported to the Coast Guard and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the commanding agencies handling this incident.

Thursday morning, the City of Oceanside announced that SCAT teams (Shoreline Cleaning Assessment Teams) are examining Oceanside beaches for any traces.

In their latest update, the City of Oceanside Emergency Operations Center reports they are closely monitoring the impacts of the oil spill that occurred Saturday, October 2, 2021, off the coast of Huntington Beach roughly 50 miles to the north.

Oceanside Harbor and Emergency Operations Center staff are prepared to close the Harbor inlet with a floating boom if needed.

UPDATE: 10/07/2021 06:20 PM PDT

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY: Residents Advised To Exercise Caution if Encountering Tar Balls On the Beach

Based on increased reports of tar balls washing ashore on North County beaches, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency is advising residents to exercise caution at local beaches and to avoid contact if tar balls are seen.

Updates as of Oct. 7 at 7:30 a.m.:

• 5,544 gallons of crude oil have been recovered
• An estimated 15.67 miles of light oiling was reported along shorelines to the north
• Six miles of shoreline to the north have been cleaned and crews continue cleanup efforts
• Five aircraft are assigned with 16 flights per day and 35 vessels
• 12,860 feet of containment boom have been deployed protecting eight sensitive sites
• 24 oiled wildlife have been recovered
• 511 response personnel are working on response, with more expected this week
• Boaters with damage claims are asked to call 1-866-985-8366. Contaminated vessels will be professionally cleaned by experts.
• SCAT teams (Shoreline Cleaning Assessment Teams) are examining Oceanside beaches for any traces today
• Multiple regulatory agencies are conducting investigations

Tarballs are a remnant of oil spills and may be spotted. Do not touch or pick them up. They will be removed by trained teams. Tarball fact sheet
To volunteer to help, visit https://calspillwatch.wildlife.ca.gov/volunteer or call 1-800-228-4544
To report oiled wildlife, do not handle, please call 1-877-823-6926
To view fisheries closure areas, visit https://socalspillresponse.com/fisheries-closure/
To view images, visit https://socalspillresponse.com/response-imagery/

For questions, email inquiries@socalspillresponse.com

For daily updates, visit socalspillresponse.com.

Related story: Tarballs Wash Up On Oceanside Shores As OC Oil Spill Creeps South

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