The California oil spill could endanger birds and sea life for years, experts say

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A bird balances on a temporary floating barrier to contain oil that seeped into Talbert Marsh, home to around 90 bird species, after a 126,000-gallon oil spill from an offshore oil platform on Oct. 3, 2021 in Huntington Beach, Calif.





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Environment
A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean has reached the Southern California coast

Bonisoli Alquati studied the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on marine and terrestrial wildlife along the Gulf Coast and found that the repercussions are still present today.

«Some populations might recover fast. Some other populations take years and years, he said. «Sometimes the focus, of course, of the press and the public has already shifted away, but the consequences are still happening.





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Workers in boats try to clean up floating oil near gulls in the Talbert Marshlands as a 3,000-barrel oil spill, about 126,000 gallons, from an offshore oil rig reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, Calif. on Oct. 3, 2021.





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But many more could be at risk. The Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy says that Talbert Marsh, which is in the zone of the oil spill, is home to around 90 different bird species.

«A spill of this magnitude is a disaster whenever it occurs, but this one occurred in an especially sensitive area at critical time, as many bird species head south for the winter, Sarah Rose, executive director of Audubon California, said in a statement.

«This spill – in virtually the same spot as a devastating 1990 spill – is a reminder that petroleum and water are a dangerous mix along California’s precious coast and that continued reliance on oil kills birds and other wildlife, threatens our public health, and harms local economies and recreational opportunities, she added.





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Water is contaminated with oil in the Talbert Marsh, which is home to around 90 bird species, after a 126,000-gallon oil spill from an offshore oil platform on Oct. 4, 2021 in Huntington Beach, Calif.





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Water is contaminated with oil in the Talbert Marsh, which is home to around 90 bird species, after a 126,000-gallon oil spill from an offshore oil platform on Oct. 4, 2021 in Huntington Beach, Calif.


Mario Tama/Getty Images


The spill is adding to calls for a shift away from fossil fuels


The oil spill has renewed calls among environmental advocates and others for the country to stop using fossil fuels and instead switch to renewable energy sources that are safer.

«Even after fines and criminal charges, the oil industry is still spilling and leaking into California’s coastal waters, Miyoko Sakashita, with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a tweet. «The only solution is to shut this dirty business down.

Martyn Willsher, president and CEO of Amplify Energy, said the oil rig operated by his company that spilled crude oil over the weekend was constructed in the 1970s and 80s and is inspected regularly. He added that the company intends to take part in the recovery effort until it’s completed.