HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-04; Orange County Pipeline Oil Spill Incident, Report No. 5 (Districts - All); Harrison, DavidTo the members of the:
, , ~l"Q' COUNCIL
Date ~C~CC JL.
CM V ACM-✓-D occr-.M (3) ✓
Nov. 4, 2021
Council Memorandum
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Honorable Mayor Hall and M
David Harrison, Assistant Dire
Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Orange County Pipeline Oil S ·11 I
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID #2021209
This memorandum provides information on the Orange County pipeline oil spill and its impacts.
It focuses on information and actions that are current and/or new since the last update.
Background
The Unified Command continues its response to a crude oil spill off the Orange County coast that
has affected San Diego County. Shorelines remain in various stages of assessment, cleanup,
inspection and the signoff process. Cleanup efforts continue to focus on collecting tar balls along
the shoreline, with task forces and hot shot teams primarily staged in San Diego County.
Initial sign off field team inspections have commenced in San Diego County, including in Carlsbad.
The Unified Command has not approved any shoreline segments as signed off for this incident.
Tar reporting and cleanup
The public will likely continue to encounter tar balls on San Diego County beaches, including
Carlsbad, in coming weeks and months.
Seven tar ball reports documenting contamination on Carlsbad beaches were submitted by staff
and California State Parks lifeguards to the Unified Command during the period covered by this
memo.
Oil and/or debris removed:
• Oct. 28: 36 bags of oiled seagrass removed from North Carlsbad Beach south through
South Ponto Beach, approximately* nine bags of tar balls and oiled seaweed and sea
wood removed from South Ponto Beach
• Oct. 29: 28 "less full" bags of oil debris removed from Ponto State Beach
• Oct. 31: eight bags of oiled seaweed removed from Tamarack to South Carlsbad State
Beach
• Nov. 1: 82 bags of oil clump and oiled sea grass removed from South Carlsbad State
Beach
Carlsbad Fire Department
2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-2141
Council Memo -Orange County Pipeline Oil Spill Incident, Report No. 5
Nov. 4, 2021
Page 2
• Nov. 2: Approximately 45 bags of oiled vegetation removed from Carlsbad State Beach
south to Palomar Airport Road
* Estimate result of combined cleanup numbers coming from multiple beach segments and/or jurisdictions.
Beach inspection and cleanup transition
Carlsbad's shoreline is divided into six segments by the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife's shoreline cleanup assessment technique teams. The Unified Command Liaison
reported on Nov. 2 that three of Carlsbad's segments had passed initial sign-off inspections.
These segments enter a 72-hour hold period, after which the sign off team returns for a second
inspection.
The Carlsbad segments that have passed initial inspection cover the shoreline from the Buena
Vista Lagoon south to Agua Hedionda Lagoon (two segments) and the small segment of shoreline
south of Batiquitos Lagoon and west of La Costa Avenue.
After a successful second inspection, and once the Unified Command has reviewed and approved
a signed-off shoreline segment, incident operations enter response phase 3, also known as the
post-sign off transition period. This does not mean an end to Unified Command response
operations. The Unified Command continues to receive briefings on the incident. The Coast
Guard and Fish and Wildlife's Oil Spill Prevention and Response continue to provide oversight as
operations proceed. Fish and Wildlife's shoreline cleanup assessment technique teams end their
Team assessment and monitoring efforts while the oil spill response organization contracted by
the party responsible for the spill responds to reports of tar balls or oiling.
The length of the transition period depends on the frequency of the contamination. The Unified
Command is responsible for distributing the federal plan for long-term monitoring and
maintenance.
Continuing actions
• Extended tar ball monitoring and reporting (including resident reporting). (To report tar
and/or oil contamination, people can email: tarballreports@wildlife.ca.gov)
• Continuing coordination with the Unified Command and San Diego County Office of
Emergency Services
• Coordinating sign off field team process
• Public information sharing (Tar Ball Facts received from San Diego County Office of
Emergency Services)
Potential community interests or concerns
• Continuing occurrence of tar balls for weeks and months
• Financial impacts and recovery (Community members impacted by the oil spill who need
to file a claim can call 866-985-8366.)
• Environmental impact
• Future of offshore oil operations
Council Memo -Orange County Pipeline Oil Spill Incident, Report No. 5
Nov. 4, 2021
Page 3
cc Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief
Mickey Williams, Police Chief
David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer
Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director
Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director