WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2021) Reports from crews on the ground show significant progress in the efforts to clean up the Amplify Energy pipeline oil spill off the coast of southern California, the interagency Unified Command response team said.
"Reports from trained oil observers and beach cleanup contractors working for the Unified Command show significant progress in cleanup operations," the Unified Command said in a statement on Friday.
More than 1,800 personnel from across the United States and 116 local volunteers assisted in spill response efforts at the height of cleanup operations, the Unified Command said. They added that they are cognizant of the environmental impact of response efforts and continuously assessing their footprint.
Ronald Tjeerdema, professor with the University of California at Davis, told Sputnik that it will likely take a year or two for the local flora and fauna to fully recover from the oil spill. He said that although there will be short-term impacts to plankton, fish, birds and mammals in the local ecosystem, long term consequences will probably be "minimal."
The Unified Command said that there has been no free-floating oil observed since October 5, and that on-water oil-recovery operations have ceased. All public beaches in Orange County and San Diego County have also been reopened.
