Edhat Staff
Update by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
January 8, 2022
A Unified Command remains engaged in response efforts to a petroleum sheen observed Friday off Summerland Beach in Santa Barbara County. Source is yet to be determined, pending lab analysis.
Much of oil has been too light to recover; crews are ready to deploy equipment if needed & if weather conditions permit. This area experiences regular natural seepage of oil & there are hundreds of historical legacy wells in vicinity. Investigation to help pinpoint source.
Wildlife & multi-agency shoreline assessment teams have been actively monitoring for impacts. None have been observed at this time.
UC includes the U.S. Coast Guard, OSPR, and Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Photo: CDFW
Update by the U.S. Coast Guard
January 7, 2022
U.S Coast Guard pollution responders are coordinating with partners in response to an oil sheen reported off Summerland Beach, Friday.
The estimated 1 and a half to 2-mile-long sheen is reported to be 5 nautical-miles off Santa Barbara. The sheen’s cause is unknown at this time.
At 2:34 p.m., Friday, watchstanders from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara were notified by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services of a possible oil sheen in the water.
The partner agencies informed the National Response Center of the incident and planned further actions.
A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter flight crew conducted an overflight of an oil sheen off Summerland Beach, Saturday.
There are no reports of wildlife being harmed from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at this time.
Photos by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Gray
By the edhat staff
January 6, 2022
Authorities are looking into a large oil sheen spotted off the coast of Summerland Beach.
At 5:15 p.m., the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to the area.
The cause and amount are under investigation and more details will be shared as it becomes available, said Captain Scott Safechuck.
No further details were provided, this is a developing story.
Oil sheen off Summerland Beach (Photo: Harry Rabin of Heal the Ocean)
I agree with the prior comments, that is far more than a sheen. A sheen is rainbow like and very thin, not thick enough to appear dark brown as in the first photo.
Agree. Not a sheen. Best described as as an oil slick, at least to me. Looks nasty. The classic sheen is typical of what you’d see (unfortunately but it happens) in the SB harbor, or if you boat – out off Isla Vista. There was an oil well capping operation done close to there this past year of which HTO is quite aware. There are also a lot more abandoned wells in that stretch. Any one of them could start percolating upwards I would think.
Don’t presume it’s capped oil wells that leak, Mother Nature leaks all by herself – which is why wells were put there.
Wouldn’t be shocked to find the recent heavy swell knocked some infrastructure loose, or it could also be a similar issue to what is happening in Toro Canyon.
One of the interesting things about the Toro Canyon spill is how the increase in groundwater is pushing out the oil. Another interesting fact about the Toro Canyon well, is that it is horizontal and was dug back into the hillside
I always thought an “oil sheen” was the oily appearance of multiple colors on top of a puddle — not brown and black sheets and lines that are also on the sand!
Yeah, this is more of a Martin Sheen type ugly.