City Issues Beach Advisory in Response to Oil Spill
The City of Newport Beach is advising residents and visitors to avoid contact with ocean water and oiled areas of the beach, following a large oil spill that was identified Saturday off the coast of Newport and Huntington Beach. Oil has been observed on shore in some areas.
Post Date: 10/03/2021 9:48 am
The City of Newport Beach is advising residents and visitors to avoid contact with ocean water and oiled areas of the beach, following a large oil spill that was identified Saturday off the coast of Newport and Huntington Beach. Oil has been observed on shore in Newport Beach between 52nd street and the Santa Ana River.City beaches will remain open to the public with the water advisory in place.
Newport Harbor remains open for boating and general recreational use. Huntington Beach has cancelled Day 3 of the Pacific Airshow in response to the spill.“Unfortunately, the size and potential impact of this oil spill make it necessary for people to stay out of the water and avoid contact with the oil,” said Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery. “The City’s top priority is to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors during the cleanup effort.”
Newport Beach is part of the multi-agency unified command response being led by the U.S. Coast Guard, the lead agency coordinating the cleanup response and incident investigation.Members of the public are also asked to avoid assisting with cleanup in the oiled areas. Trained spill response contractors are being dispatched to clean up the oil. Public volunteers are not needed and could hinder response efforts. Members of the pubic are also advised to avoid contact with oiled wildlife.
If anyone encounters oiled wildlife, please call 1-877-823-6926.The cause of the spill, volume and type of oil are under investigation.
The City is continuing to monitor this evolving incident and will release additional information as it becomes available.