An oil spill off the California coast destroyed a wildlife habitat and caused dead birds and fish to

[libertybele]

An oil spill off the California coast destroyed a wildlife habitat and caused dead birds and fish to wash up on Huntington Beach, officials say

A swath of the Southern California coast is covered with oil after 3,000 barrels' worth gushed into the Pacific Ocean -- devastating some of the local wildlife, officials said.
A pipeline breach occurred about 5 miles off the coast of Huntington Beach, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said Sunday.

"We've started to find dead birds and fish washing up on the shore," Foley said.

"The oil has infiltrated the entirety of the (Talbert) Wetlands. There's significant impacts to wildlife there," she said.

"These are wetlands that we've been working with the Army Corps of Engineers, with the Land Trust, with all the community wildlife partners to make sure to create this beautiful, natural habitat for decades. And now in just a day, it's completely destroyed.".......

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/03/us/california-oil-spill/index.html

[Elderberry]

Coast Guard investigating whether ship anchored at wrong location caused California oil spill

Seattle Times 10/4/2021

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/coast-guard-investigating-whether-ship-anchored-at-wrong-location-caused-california-oil-spill/

The Coast Guard is investigating whether a large commercial ship set anchor in the wrong location, damaging an oil pipeline and causing a spill that threatens Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and other Orange County coastal cities, an official familiar with the investigation said Monday.

The pipeline was dragged as much as 150 feet by the anchor, the official said. Vessels are given anchor points to ensure pipelines are avoided. Coast Guard investigators are examining whether the ship’s captain was aware of the dragging.

Earlier Monday, Martyn Willsher, president and chief executive of the pipeline operator’s parent company, said that a ship’s anchor striking the pipeline was “one of the distinct possibilities” for the spill.

No additional details were provided.

At the time, the Coast Guard said it was investigating that as one possible scenario, but officials did not present evidence suggesting an anchor could be the cause.

“We have examined more than 8,000 feet of pipe and we have isolated one specific area of significant interest,” Willsher, the Amplify Energy Corp. executive, told reporters. “We did this primarily through [remotely operated vehicles] to this point, but we are sending divers down now to verify what we were seeing. There’s more information to come, but I think we’re moving very closely to the source and the cause of this incident.”

[rustynail]

Will the pipe be repaired and restarted?