An oil sheen in the ocean off Huntington Beach, California, where a broken pipeline last month spilled about 25,000 gallons of oil into the water, was “likely residual” oil from the spill, said Eric Laughlin, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, on Sunday.
The oil sheen, which measured about 70 feet by 30 feet, was investigated on Saturday, but appears to have dissipated. US Coast Guard officials will continue to monitor the area.
Spokesperson Petty Officer Richard Brahm said the Coast Guard has taken precautionary measures. “To err on the side of caution, we went ahead and replaced the pipeline’s syntho-glass wrap. Maybe that was the issue, and, if it’s not, we’re going to keep watching. But it was just a possibility.”
Since the oil spill on October 2, the pipeline has been shut down. The oil sheen, however, has led to speculation about ongoing impacts from the incident.
