AnonymousBy an edhat reader
Hoping someone with local knowledge can explain if there is any pattern (tides/wind/geology/season) to the periodic appearance of heavy tar on local beaches. Arroyo Burro/Hendry’s/The Pit, appeared to have a heavy coating of tar Saturday morning. Saw at least one dog walker turn around, saying “not today.”
Platform Holly, which is now out of service (maybe 2016?) was pulling oil out of this area, but the operators also installed large metal “tents” over a natural seep (crack in ocean floor). The seep has been there for (they say) thousands of years, and I read an estimate that it seeps over 200 barrels of oil/tar/gas into the ocean every day. The tents were capturing lots of that until they closed operations in 2016 +-. Now the seep just vents directly into the ocean. There has been a marked increase in tar on the beaches since then.