Long Beach City Press Release
At this time, Long Beach beaches and swimming areas have not been affected by the oil sheen located yesterday, Dec. 22, one mile off the coast of Bolsa Chica State Beach in the City of Huntington Beach, despite notifications that the sheen is traveling in a northerly direction, unlike previous oil sheens. The size of the sheen is currently undetermined, however on its current trajectory northbound, the San Gabriel River, Long Beach shoreline and Port of Long Beach could be impacted as early as tomorrow morning, Dec. 24. Forecasted inclement weather today and tomorrow is contributing to the oil sheen’s direction of travel and will also likely disrupt efforts to locate and identify the source and contain it. The City of Long Beach is actively looking at contingency plans for various scenarios and is prepared to clear beaches immediately, start our own local mitigation efforts and provide further updates as needed.
While the mitigation efforts continue, the City remains in close communication with its State and Federal partners. A helicopter flyover by the U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled for today, Dec. 23, and the Long Beach Fire Department Marine Safety Bureau is providing maritime assets to locate and track the oil sheen’s ongoing position.
An already established Unified Command post led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which has been handling the Huntington Beach Spill, will support the City’s efforts with information and resources. Media inquiries may be directed to the Fire Department at 562.570.1360 for assistance.
Long Beach has approximately seven miles of public beach. To protect the safety of the public, weekly water samples are collected and tested routinely to monitor bacterial levels. For their safety, the community is encouraged to pay close attention to any warning signs posted at the beach.
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