On Saturday October 2nd, 2021, more than 126,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean from Huntington Beach in southern California, not 15 miles from my hometown Irvine. The massive spill of crude oil into coastal waters was caused by a pipeline failure. By Sunday morning, the spill had become an even larger ecological disaster: dead birds and fish were beginning to wash ashore and the smell of diesel and tar had permeated the Huntington Beach coastline. Teams led by the U.S. Coast Guard erected a temporary floating barrier, known as a containment boom, to attempt to prevent the oil spill from spreading further into the wetlands and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. This oil spill has become one of the largest to ever occur in southern California. It resulted in the closure of the whole beach, including the cancellation of the last day of the annual Pacific Air Show that generally attracts thousands of spectators. As of October 3rd, the oil spill has begun to be stopped, but is not yet fully contained.
- Camille Roussel - USA
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