Cleanup efforts continued today by task force attempted to contain an oil pollution incident at a Huntington Beach flood control channel that occured, Jan. 22.
Orange County officials contracted with Ocean Blue Environmental Services for the containment and clean-up duties east of Beach Boulevard and south of Adams Avenue.
Containment barriers have been placed in the channel, and power-washing and absorbent materials and vacuum trucks are being used to remove oil.
The task force, called a Unified Command, consists of the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish & Game, Orange County, 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.
Officials said 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.
Crew officials have concluded that no contamination has passed Newland Street and no wetlands have been damaged.
Updated information on the cleanup efforts can be seen on the EPA's website for at www.epaosc.org/hboil, or Huntington Beach's website at www.huntingtonbeachca.gov or at Orange County's watershed website at www.ocwatersheds.com.
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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