Anonymous
(Photos by CDFW Cal Spill Watch)
Unified Command concludes response to crude oil release in Goleta
Cleanup operations have concluded along the shoreline impacted by a May 28 crude oil release that occurred at the 421 Pier at Haskell’s Beach. The incident had occurred while crews were working to plug an historic well, releasing an estimated 80 to 125 gallons of crude oil.
Scientists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have continuously evaluated the shoreline since the May 28 release, and report that the cleanup objectives have been met.
Sensitive environmental sites in the area have also been continuously monitored, including snowy plover nesting sites near Coal Oil Point. No impacts to those areas were observed.
Field crews from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) have begun to demobilize. At this time, a total of 15 birds have been collected. Staff from the network will be on-call through Monday in case of further reports. Anyone seeing oiled wildlife is asked to call the OWCN at 1-877-823-6926.
Update by edhat staff
Cleanup Complete for Haskell’s Beach Oil Spill
The Office of Spill Prevention Response (OSPR) remains engaged in Goleta’s crude oil spill that occurred during well plugging and abandonment operations at Pier 421 on Haskell’s Beach in Goleta on Tuesday.
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 is 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 collected ten birds, six of which are alive. OSPR reports some birds had injuries that appear unrelated to the oil response. The public is asked to avoid any potentially-oiled
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.
Public volunteers are not currently needed.
For more information: https://calspillwatch.dfg.ca.
Estimated 80-125 Gallons of Oil Spill on Haskell’s Beach
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
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.
Hmm. I don’t get the Mayor Perotte stating, “While oil spills are of great concern . . .” Why not just state that “Oil spills are of great concern . . .”? Any oil spill is nothing to be taken lightly, no matter how “impressive:” the clean up may be.
“no impacts to public health”… UNLESS you encounter the 80+ gallons of crude oil.
People put on way more gallons of sun screen on our beaches than this “oil spill”.
They are minimizing the effects of this spill! I was fishing Tuesday on the Goleta Pier and was marveling at all the oil blobs that were suddenly floating by. So much so, it was difficult to reel in your line without pulling your string through an oil blotch! I have two spools of fishing line that are contaminated with oil!
OSHA is extreme.
Another oil spill. Where are the Chumash monitors? There were villages in the area and monitors need to be present while they are working. The monitors were not allowed into the area and that is illegal.
There is always the “if you use gas in your car you shouldn’t complain about oil in our ocean”. The oil left in this channel with never go into my car, your car, or anyone’s, too low grade. Why do you think Chevron and Union Oil left after taking the best? Making rude, crude, and socially unacceptable comments about concerned environmentalists doesn’t help matters.
They are much easier to clean if they get oil on them. Also you might want to notice they are immediately adjacent a much taller than them retaining wall which not only OSHA but any Union contractor would deem a possible overhead hazard source.
It’s always an abandoned well, there are so many, why aren’t they inspected before this happens, but no let’s just wait till something happens.
There are something like 192 poorly capped ( in 1924 or so) oil wells in Summerland and they are definitely big trouble. They were the first off shore oil wells in the world.
Perhaps while they are in the area clean up crews could pick up or destroy the numerous other forms of pollution such as lobster traps, buoys, tires and abandoned oil production wellhead hazards littering the beach and shoreline.
Oil production needs to go AWAY. We need greener energy. We need to do better. Scientists out there studying things like space travel, when we really need to focus on home and what we are doing to it.
Pretty sure those additional items are not on their work order, who would you suggest should pay the additional cost for this unrelated extra work.
They were working to plug it…it’s not like it was sitting there for years and just started leaking. One should gather some insight as to what is happening prior to suggesting unrelated solutions.
RED CREEK. With you on this one 100%. Those lobster traps have been on the beach there for ages. I think Santa Barbara should require lobster fishermen to attach metal, engraved i.d. tags to their lobster traps. When one of those traps ends up onshore, the trap owner should either remove it or be charged for removal.
Is there any way to bill the oil company responsible for the spill in each instance?
Why are they wearing hard hats? Isn’t that a bit extreme? yikes, lol.
Agreed, BigUglyStick. But please know that there are many many scientists who are actually doing research in cleaner, greener energy, despite poor funding and lack of support from our government. Just because space travel is also being researched doesn’t mean that there are not scientists dedicating their lives to what you speak of. We just need to fund them more.
I’m as irritated as you with the spill, but what does a chumash monitor have to do with it? Those people observe for artifacts, they aren’t there to prevent oil spills
I’d be very surprised if there’s any connection between this and any oil sheen at Goleta Pier. I’m on the ocean as much as anyone in that area and oil sheen is a part of life. It probably has more to do with the 10,000gal a day that occur via natural seeps than the 80 gallons that may have gotten loose at Gaviota.
It does not really seem as if the folks who consider themselves “woke” and “anti-Oil” can appreciate when someone points out their hypocrisy. It’s like those vegans who buy leather goods, or order leather seats with Prius or Nissan Leaf. You have nothing to stand on when you tell the rest of us to give up our addition to oil, then fill up your own car with premium. Can you not comprehend when you drone on about the horrors of oil, then buy a set of discount tires at Costco ? If you talk the talk, then walk the walk. Until then, maybe give it a rest on telling us what we need to do. Take an MTD bus sometime if you are really serious.
You, FACTOTUM, are extreme.
Understanding the systemic roots of the addiction is more useful ….. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/10/6/16428458/us-energy-coal-oil-subsidies
The stuff you are spouting is made up. Please provide one example of a vegan ordering leather seats with their hybrid or electric cars. It is a weak argument to attack someone’s political beliefs by criticizing their personal behavior. Means you don’t have a stronger argument in your favor.
Support your allegations with actual evidence- who says they were not allowed and why are those actions illegal?
I’m sorry Hair, did I say sheen?!? I said blobs! As in 3-dimensional objects, globular in nature! Yes, they each had a ring of oil sheen around them elongated by the passing current. But that was secondary to the quantity and density of the blob clustering!