Orange County, Calif. – State and federal trustee agencies for natural resources impacted by the October 2021 Pipeline P00547 oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach in Southern California are hosting two virtual information meetings to update the public on the damage assessment effort and to solicit input for potential restoration actions.
The Jan. 25 meetings will provide current information on the assessments of spill impacts to birds, marine mammals and fish, the water column, marsh, rocky intertidal, subtidal and sandy beach habitats, and human-use activities.
The public is invited to submit recommendations for restoration concepts aimed to protect, restore and enhance resources potentially impacted by the spill.
Agencies will host two virtual meetings on Jan. 25, at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. PST. Click a link below to register for one of the timeslots:
9 a.m. PST https://empsi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xXKBcdtJTp26aZru5nbsOg
6 p.m. PST https://empsi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PkPVHt1UQKaQ3uxw4V9_Pg
Instructions on how to join Zoom and/or call in will be provided upon registration.
For those unable to attend a meeting session, restoration project proposals can be emailed to fw8cfwocomments@fws.gov using the subject line, “Pipeline P00547 Project Proposal.”
BACKGROUND
On Oct. 1, 2021, an underwater pipeline, known as Pipeline P00547, running from Platform Elly to Long Beach spilled an estimated 24,696 gallons of crude oil into San Pedro Bay. The initial release occurred roughly 4.5 miles offshore of Huntington Beach in Southern California. Natural resource trustees, made up of state and federal agencies, are assessing the ecological injuries and human use (e.g. beach access, recreation, and fishing) losses caused by the spill. Through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process, trustees quantify injuries to wildlife, habitat, and lost human use of those resources, and develop a restoration plan for public comment. A claim for funds from the responsible party will be made in order to implement restoration projects.
Natural resource trustees include representatives from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Parks and Recreation, California State Lands Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For more information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/NRDA/Pipeline-P00547 or email fw8cfwocomments@fws.gov.
Media Contacts:
California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Eric Laughlin, (916) 214-3279
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Jessica D’Ambrosio, jessica_dambrosio@fws.gov
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Jennie Lyons, (202) 603-9372 or jennie.lyons@noaa.gov
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