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On Tuesday evening, May 28, 2019, the City of Goleta became aware of an oil spill at Haskell’s Beach.
As part of the ongoing response, cleanup and environmental assessment, teams are accessing the beach from Santa Barbara Shores Drive.
The Mayor of Goleta has issued a statement:
“Goleta is fully committed to protecting and preserving public safety and access to our beach and ocean. While oil spills are always of great concern, I am impressed by the way local, state, and federal agencies work together to contain the situation. We continue to monitor the situation and assess it for impacts,“ said Mayor Paula Perotte.
The City of Goleta is sharing a press release from Unified Command:
Unified Command responding to crude oil release in Goleta; Cleanup and investigation ongoing
Contacts: Eric Laughlin, CA Fish and Wildlife PIO, 916-214-3279
Sheri Pemberton, CA State Lands PIO, 916-477-0691
Goleta – A Unified Command has been established to respond to a crude oil release that occurred at Pier 421 at Haskell’s Beach. The incident occurred while crews were working to plug an abandoned well, releasing an estimated 80 to 125 gallons of crude oil.
Multiple assessments have not detected any sheen on the water, but ground crews have discovered oil and oily debris along the shoreline in the vicinity of Pier 421 and points east. A team of cleanup contractors are working to remove this material.
Scientists continue to assess sensitive environmental sites in the area including snowy plover nesting sites near Coal Oil Point. No impacts to those areas have been observed.
Crews from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) have also been activated and will be out assessing the area again tomorrow. At this time, three birds have been collected. The public is asked to avoid any potentially-oiled wildlife, as approaching or trying to help them can do more harm than good. Anyone seeing oiled wildlife is asked to call the OWCN at 1-877-823-6926.
All beaches will remain open throughout the cleanup process and there are no impacts to public health, safety or recreational fishing. However, the public is asked to refrain from entering areas where crews are working or cleanup efforts are taking place.
Responding agencies include Santa Barbara County Fire, the United States Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the City of Goleta, and the California State Lands Commission.
Public volunteers are not currently needed.
For more information about the response, visit CalSpillwatch.com, owcn.org and slc.ca.gov.
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