HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Cleanup efforts continue as a Unified Command made up of federal, state and local officials respond to an oil pollution incident at a Huntington Beach flood control channel that occured, Jan. 22, 2010, east of Beach Boulevard and south of Adams Avenue.
The County of Orange contracted with Ocean Blue Environmental Services for containment and clean-up. Containment barriers have been placed in the channel. Power-washing, absorbent materials and vacuum trucks are being used to remove oil.
The Unified Command consists of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish & Game, County of Orange, Huntington Beach Fire Department, Huntington Beach Public Works Department, Huntington Beach Waste Water, Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy and Ocean Blue Environmental Services.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is prepared to treat any affected wildlife. If the public observes any oiled wildlife they are asked not to approach or collect wildlife, but please call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network Center at 1-877-UCD-OWCN.
A plan by the Unified Command has been set to ensure the safety of the public and the response personnel, to monitor the contamination and maximize protection of the environmentally sensitive areas, to contain and recover spilled product, to recover and rehabilitate injured wildlife and to remove oil from impacted zones and dispose of the product effectively.
Observations have concluded that no contamination has passed Newland Street and no wetlands have been affected.
Updated information on the cleanup efforts can be seen on the EPA’s website for the incident at www.epaosc.org/hboil
at the City of Huntington Beach website at www.huntingtonbeachca.gov and at the County of Orange, OC Watershed website at www.ocwatersheds.com.
