Newport beach Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images
According to The Los Angeles Times, a pipeline leak could be responsible for an oil spillage.
The spillage is located 13 miles off the coast of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Southern California.
Officials warned against swimming after the spillage is predicted to reach shore on Saturday night.
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Newport Beach officials have warned residents not to swim in the ocean after an oil spillage was reported along the coast. This is expected to happen Saturday night.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the 13-mile slick was caused by a leak in a pipeline. The spillage stretches from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach.
Huntington Beach officials also closed down their beaches at 7 p.m. local.
-City Huntington Beach (@CityofHBPIO), October 3, 2021
Officials stated in a tweet that they were closely monitoring the situation.
Beta Offshore, an oil producer in Southern California, said that the incident was reported at noon Saturday. Workers shut down the pipeline shortly thereafter. KABC reported that crews used pressurized equipment for oil retrieval.
The Coast Guard said that it was also responding to the spillage, as did California's Department of Fish and Wildlife via a tweet Saturday afternoon.
Although CDFW didn't respond to Insider's request, Eric Laughlin, a spokesman for the Times, said that people shouldn’t approach endangered wildlife because it can cause more harm than good.
"Members should not go near the oily shoreline as it is dangerous and should only be cleaned out by qualified contractors," Laughlin stated to the Times.
Insider has the original article.
