RPT - Consequences Of California Oil Spill To Last 1-2 Years - Expert

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th October, 2021) It will likely take a year or two for the flora and fauna of the southern California coast to recover from an October oil pipeline spill, Ronald S Tjeerdema, professor with the University of California at Davis, told Sputnik.

The spill, possibly caused by a tear in a pipeline owned by Texas company Amplify Energy, was first reported on October 1. As a result, from 25,000 to 132,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California near Los Angeles. The causes of the incident are being investigated.

"Being that the impacted area is relatively limited in size, I would anticipate the local flora and fauna will recover within a year or two," Tjeerdema, distinguished professor of the Department of Environmental Toxicology and Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute, projected.

Although the spill is "moderate," compared to some high-profile environmental disasters of past years, such as the the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico or the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, it is still "locally significant," the expert explained.

"Plankton, both adult and larval forms of invertebrates and fishes, and a number of mammal and bird species will be particularly affected in the short term. Due to the relatively short exposure period, long term consequences will probably be minimal," Tjeerdema said.

Since the volume of the spilled oil is too small and will dissipate before leaving the region, the expert is confident that the incident will be limited to the Southern California area.

The reasons for the leak are still being investigated. Experts believe that the most probable cause is damage on the pipeline by a ship's anchor, which probably happened several months before the leak began.